Security researcher exposes Snapchat weakness that could crash phone
Photo messaging app Snapchat has a weakness that makes it vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack. The said weakness was discovered and exposed by security researcher Jamie Sanchez, according to TechCrunch.
Hackers can overload a user's inbox with messages until the iPhone freezes and crashes, the Los Angeles Times reports. This would prompt the user to reset the mobile device. Android handsets, however, will not crash due to the said attack, but will become noticeable slower, the report explained.
Snapchat reacted to this news in a statement: "We are working to resolve the issue and will be reaching out to the security researcher who publicized the attack to learn more."
Sanchez said he told the Los Angeles Times about the vulnerability before letting Snapchat know about it. During the holiday season, security researchers told Snapchat that a glitch had opened the app to hackers who could expose user data. The chat firm ignored the notification. So, the hackers published to phone data of 4.6 million users to drive their point, TechCrunch reported.
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