Today I have realized that there are two weird additions to the list of Network Devices on my Macbook Pro (High Sierra). It kind of freaks me out especially because of the weird non-latin characters associated with one of the devices.
Is it something potentially dangerous? Could it be an attempt for hacking?
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1That icon is used for various serial devices, including a USB-serial adapter, and I think some cellphone internet sharing– ElliottCommented Apr 3, 2018 at 9:40
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1USB Serial adapter has a different icon– AhmadovCommented Apr 3, 2018 at 22:09
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2 Answers
Most probably they appeared if you have ever connected to some other devices (other mobile phones, for instance) which shared their internet connection with you OR for charging.
Another possible reason is that someone near you has a device with the ability to create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. Your computer is able to detect this so will add it to your list of available providers.
You can safely delete them. No, this is not dangerous and doesn't look like an attempt for hacking.
Also, check this for security: Prevent my Mac from connecting to an unsecure Wi-Fi network?
answered Apr 3, 2018 at 9:36
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1but why are they "Dialup Connection"s? I don't think anyone uses dial up in the office. The only reason I can suspect is that I had to install Windows XP as a virtual machine to my mac and that might have created some interfaces– AhmadovCommented Apr 3, 2018 at 10:16
All sorts of hardware when connected can offer to the OS a connection (android and iOS devices are most common).
It's fine to delete all network interfaces you don't think you need and then watch for them to reappear when ever you physically connect accessories.
It could be harmless or it could be nefarious - so I would investigate a bit more.
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I think my issue is similar to this one here: discussions.apple.com/thread/8155246– AhmadovCommented Apr 3, 2018 at 22:10