100,000 Grindr users exposed in hack attack
Grindr, the the wildly popular mobile app has been compromised by a Sydney hacker, potentially exposing intimate personal chats, explicit photos and private information of users, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The hacker discovered a way to log in as another user, impersonate that user, chat and send photos on their behalf.
The vulnerabilities are also present in Blendr, the straight version of the app, according to a security expert who said both apps had "no real security" and were "poorly designed". Fairfax Media is not aware that Blendr has been hacked but the potential was there, according to the security expert.
The founder of the apps, Joel Simkhai, conceded both were vulnerable and he was rushing to release a patch to address the issues. He said he had originally been waiting until new architecture was built "within weeks" but was now releasing an update to both apps "over the next few days".
The hacker site has since come down. Simkhai says protecting user privacy is their highest priority and promised a secure update to the app in days.
With recent statements claiming 3 million users globally, the company has been "pushed into a security crisis that has left its users seriously vulnerable considering the vast amounts fo private information traded thorugh the app -- in many cases naked pictures."
The hacker discovered a way to log in as another user, impersonate that user, chat and send photos on their behalf.The vulnerabilities are also present in Blendr, the straight version of the app, according to a security expert who said both apps had "no real security" and were "poorly designed". Fairfax Media is not aware that Blendr has been hacked but the potential was there, according to the security expert.
The founder of the apps, Joel Simkhai, conceded both were vulnerable and he was rushing to release a patch to address the issues. He said he had originally been waiting until new architecture was built "within weeks" but was now releasing an update to both apps "over the next few days".
The hacker site has since come down. Simkhai says protecting user privacy is their highest priority and promised a secure update to the app in days.
With recent statements claiming 3 million users globally, the company has been "pushed into a security crisis that has left its users seriously vulnerable considering the vast amounts fo private information traded thorugh the app -- in many cases naked pictures."
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