Up to 180 million smart phone owners are at risk of having some of their text messages and calls intercepted by hackers because of a simple coding error in at least 685 mobile apps, cyber-security firm Appthority warned on Thursday. Developers mistakenly coded credentials for accessing services provided by Twilio Inc, said Appthority’s director of security research, Seth Hardy.
Hackers could access those credentials by reviewing the code in the apps, then gain access to data sent over those services, he said. Developers can inadvertently introduce security vulnerabilities if they do not properly code or configure such services. “This isn’t just limited to Twilio. It’s a common problem across third-party services,” Hardy said. ‘‘We often notice that if they make a mistake with one service, they will do so with other services as well.” — AFP
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