Color, the $41-million-in-funding location-oriented photo sharing startup, is susceptible to simple GPS spoofing. With nothing more than a jailbroken iPad or iPhone, you can use FakeLocation to trick Color into thinking you’re somewhere else. Within seconds you can be browsing photos that were snapped thousands of miles away. With a little digging, you can pore through photos not intended for your eyes.
Of course, such a hack isn’t illegal as such — every photo you take with Color is public. With FakeLocation you are simply circumventing Color’s very limited location-oriented security mechanism. It does undermine Color’s usefulness (and uniqueness), though — if nefarious types can sit in their bedroom or basement and eavesdrop on classy dinner parties and wild night club soirees, people might be less inclined to share personal photos with those around them.
Fortunately, both for Color and its users, this is an easy security hole to plug — at least in the short term. The app (or server-side) code simply checks to see if the user has ‘teleported’ an impossibly large distance, without any intermediate steps in between. In the long term, though, Color’s users must be aware that its social graph is completely public. Color’s users must realize that every photo they upload is visible by anyone, from any place.
After the break, just to elucidate a little on Color’s actual business model and ultimate intention, we have two amazing quotes from Bill Nguyen, Color’s founder.
Continue reading Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere
Color vulnerable to simple GPS hack, lets you spy on anyone, anywhere originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Alliance Data Systems Alltel Amazoncom America Movil Amkor Technology Amphenol Anixter International
Tags
Latest News / Posts
- Fujitsu readies its ‘final model’ quad-core smartphone for reveal next week
- Windows 8 now available to OEMs via Microsoft Connect
- The Next Nike+ Is a Futuristic Sensor That Brings the Power of Nike’s Research Labs to Your Shoes [Video]
- Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin
- CELLMACS iPad 2 Leather Case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Review
- Streampix: Comcast’s Answer to Its Netflix Problem? [Streaming Video]
- Hello Expense is a simple, reliable expense tracker for Android
- LG’s Optimus Vu shows up on video, flaunts note taking expertise (video)
- Enhance your photos with Simply HDR for iPhone and iPad
- Security firm RSA attacked using Excel-Flash one-two sucker punch
- Microsoft Smacks Down Google Apps in Attack Video [Video]
- Is Windows 8 a Linux Copycat?
- Foxconn buildings covered in suicide nets, though most workers are just sleepy and bored
- Australian carrier Telstra gets the Motorola Xoom 2
- Fruit Flies Fend Off Wasp Body Snatchers By Getting Drunk [Science]