Yemen Monitor/Independent Arabia
Questions abound regarding the recent device explosions in Lebanon. Was it a cyberattack, a targeted attack of a different kind, or was there some form of tampering during the manufacturing process before the devices reached their intended users? From a technical standpoint, it’s crucial to understand that the batteries used in smartphones cannot cause the kind of damage seen in the images and videos due to their reliance on lithium technology.
The batteries in our devices rely on lithium technology. If exposed to high temperatures, they might swell, but even if a device were targeted by raising its temperature through a vulnerability—which is highly unlikely—the maximum outcome would be the device catching fire. Before ignition, the device’s temperature would rise, alerting the user before any serious incident. The kind of explosions seen in the videos from Lebanon is simply not possible with lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal, deriving its name from the Greek word “lithos,” meaning stone. Discovered in 1817 by Johann August Arfvedson, lithium is commonly used in mobile phones, laptops, cameras, rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, and non-rechargeable batteries for toys. It’s also used in combination with aluminum and magnesium in coatings for bulletproof vests.
It’s worth noting that other battery technologies are being developed using different materials, such as Silicon/Carbon batteries. These newer technologies are designed to address issues like overheating and swelling. Even if a battery made with these new materials were struck with a sharp object, it would not explode or catch fire.
From a technical perspective, it’s clear that the incidents in Lebanon involved deliberate tampering with the devices before they reached the end-user. Once in the hands of the users, certain commands were activated that triggered the explosions. However, based on our current understanding, it’s not technically feasible for other devices to explode due to a cyberattack.
