Gmail accounts hacked via unpatched security hole

[djbaxter]

Gmail accounts hacked via unpatched hole
By Scott Spanbauer, Windows Secrets
April 23, 2009

Exploits allowing hackers to break into Gmail accounts are likely to occur, if they're not already circulating, after security researchers released details of a hole that Google has reportedly declined to patch.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of using a webmail account, but it appears that the usual tricks won't solve the Gmail problem until Google fixes the software.

...more

 

[Blackpool55]

That is awlful to hear that, I hope Google fixes this.

 

[djbaxter]

Apparently Google has repeatedly declined to fix it. From the article cited above:

After more than a year during which, according to ISA, Google was repeatedly contacted privately about the problem researchers publicly released a detailed description of the exploit on March 3, 2009, according to a Secure Computing article.

The magazine quoted an unnamed Google spokesman as saying, "We've been aware of this report for some time, and we do not consider this case to be a significant vulnerability, since a successful exploit would require correctly guessing a user's password within the period that the user is visiting a potential attacker's site."

 

[chyneclicks]

Apparently Google has repeatedly declined to fix it. From the article cited above:

That was bad considering that Gmail is what majority of us use.

 

[loenex]

It's terrifying for the users that their accounts have been hacked without their knowledge. Users should changed their passwords every now and then I guess to protect their accounts.

 

[SeattlePurple]

I've had a free email account I didn't even use for years suddenly get banned for spamming.

I imagine something just like this happened.