Source URL: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/06/09/156210/a-researcher-figured-out-how-to-reveal-any-phone-number-linked-to-a-google-account?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
Source: Slashdot
Title: A Researcher Figured Out How To Reveal Any Phone Number Linked To a Google Account
Feedly Summary:
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text highlights a significant privacy vulnerability discovered by a cybersecurity researcher, which allowed the potential exposure of phone numbers linked to Google accounts. This exploit, deemed critical, demonstrates how brute force techniques can compromise user privacy, particularly posing risks to SIM swapping attacks.
Detailed Description: The report focuses on a critical cybersecurity issue exposed by a researcher known as brutecat, who successfully uncovered the phone number associated with any Google account. This exploit revealed that sensitive personal information could be obtained through brute force methods. Key points include:
– **Nature of the Vulnerability**:
– The vulnerability allowed researchers and potential attackers to easily access phone numbers linked to Google accounts, a type of information typically kept private.
– **Brute Force Methodology**:
– The technique used involved a brute-force approach where the researcher rapidly manipulated combinations of digits or characters to uncover the phone number. Specifically, brutecat noted:
– It takes roughly one hour to brute force a phone number in the U.S., and significantly less time in other regions (8 minutes for the UK; under a minute for other countries).
– **Process of Information Extraction**:
– The attack requires the target’s Google display name, which can be obtained by exploiting Google’s document ownership feature. By transferring a document’s ownership without notifying the victim, the researcher was able to initiate the brute force attack:
– A modified document name could extend to millions of characters, effectively preventing the target from being alerted.
– **Implications for Privacy**:
– This vulnerability poses severe risks as it enables attackers, even with minimal resources, to access personal data for malicious purposes (such as SIM swapping). Formerly relatively secure personal information is now at an increased risk.
– **Resolution**:
– The issue has been addressed by Google following the reporting.
Overall, this incident emphasizes the ongoing challenges within information security, particularly regarding user privacy and the effectiveness of current security measures implemented by tech giants. It reflects the necessity for constant vigilance in cybersecurity practices as well as the potential vulnerabilities present in widely-used platforms.