Question Cat 8 LAN cable's cybersecurity

[BigJajee]

I got Verizon Fios and just retrieved today Cat 8 STP LAN cables I ordered by Amazon. After seeing the country they're made in, I'm starting to have second thoughts. Almost 0 chance that cybersec compromises can happen from just a Cat 8 STP LAN cable alone. Right? I get that higher cat can support higher connection speeds and cybersec can also depend on modem/router and Verizon too. But is it possible there can be something embedded physically in LAN cables to begin with that may pose cyber risks?

 

[Quintessa]

is it possible there can be something embedded physically in LAN cables to begin with that may pose cyber risks?

Theoretically, yes; if someone maliciously embedded active electronics inside the connector or spliced a hardware implant into the cable. But that would be highly visible (bulky ends, powered device, extra components). For consumer-grade LAN cables bought off Amazon, the chance is effectively zero.

Where security risks do exist:

• Cheap/no-name cables sometimes don’t meet spec, which can cause crosstalk, EMI leaks, or dropped packets. That’s a quality problem, not a cyberattack vector.
• “Smart cables” with active repeaters or adapters (like USB-C > Ethernet dongles) could theoretically be tampered with since they have microcontrollers. Plain Cat 8 patch cables don't.

So, your Cat 8 STP is safe. Focus on router firmware, modem, and endpoint device security; those are where attackers actually get in. If you want a sanity check: cut one open. You'll find 4 shielded twisted pairs and drain wire, nothing else.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Also the cable is not a good place for such a device/attack. The first issue would be the cost involved and the expected value return on hitting random purchasers of cables from Amazon. The second is that for the most part, a cable attack like this would in theory be detectable by proper edge router/firewall systems or require the attacker who made those cables to get within wireless signal distance (wifi/bluetooth, etc) of the cable to ex-filtrate information from the cable, as if it used the network connectivity it itself provides in an attempt to communicated with command/control systems, it's traffic could be intercepted by the router/firewalls and possibly logged and/or blocked.

 

[sdifox]

LoL no.