I came across hak5(dot)org by chance. the uSB cables offered there are apparently suitable for hacking a smartphone. Since I use a Pixel with GrapheneOS, the question arises: is my smartphone with GOS protected against this?
With the background knowledge that hacking can be so easy, can you no longer trust a third-party cable?
GrapheneOS does have options to disallow USB connections without authorization, so there is better protection relative to other operating systems from someone using one of those cables without your knowledge. You can also disallow data transfer and have other controls. Though if you choose to allow its connections, that cable can exploit GrapheneOS too. You would likely get a more complete answer at the Grapheneos forum.