[Liftyee]

Meh, often the LiPo protection logic is hardware based to prevent just this sort of mistake/sabotage. Some protection chips are software-configurable or reprogrammable, but the parameters are again limited (by design). Perhaps you could cause long-term damage by programming it to manage the battery poorly, like repeatedly charging/discharging it deeply.

I think "every device" is just fearmongering. No software Apple/Huawei push could immediately make a phone or laptop combust. Electric cars, 3D printers, etc... I'm not so sure.

[anonzzzies]

You cannot (I don't know) use the cpu, gpu etc to overheat it quick enough, during charging, to get it over the threshold?

But even if that is not possible, de-activation would he possible; finding a 0 day as nation state and using it to disable all iPhones currently connected in the US?

[Liftyee]

Perhaps some overheating would be possible, especially during "fast charge". But batteries have had temperature sensors for a long time (that's what the extra contacts on a removable Nokia brick battery are), and the battery management chip will stop charging if temperature gets out of range.