Posted on 04/26/2016 8:12:12 AM PDT by dayglored
US presidential primary apps leak supporters' phone data
"...nearly 25 per cent were found to be exposing sensitive data... account details (email address and social media profile names), device phone number, GPS coordinates, and more..."Many US presidential primary apps gather users’ personal information and leave their sensitive data vulnerable to attackers, security researchers at Symantec warn.
Data exchanged through many of the apps can be intercepted by attackers and shared with third parties because of weak security practices.
Symantec analysed the official mobile app behaviours of top primary candidates, as well as popular unaffiliated apps, using its Norton Mobile Security with Norton Mobile Insight tools. More than half the 1,200 presidential-primary-related Android apps* tested exposed sensitive data.
Amongst the popular primary election apps — those with more than one million downloads — nearly 25 per cent were found to be exposing sensitive data.
The most frequent types of data exposed include account details (email address and social media profile names), device phone number, GPS coordinates, and more.
Even official apps, such as those of John Kasich and Ted Cruz, may expose sensitive data. In the case of the official John Kasich 2016 mobile app, every app installed on a device and the user’s location may be exposed. In the case of the official Ted Cruz "Cruz Crew" app, mobile device details and unique IMSI identification were exposed.
More details on the leaky US election apps can be found in a blog post by Symantec here.
Earlier research by the Online Trust Alliance, published last September, revealed that the majority of then US presidential candidates' websites failed a basic privacy and security audit. Sites that failed the audit included the two front-runners: Hillary Clinton (Dem.) and Donald Trump (Rep.).
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/26/pres_apps/
Tech / device pings?
Probably made in China or India next to his clothes factory.
The Cruzers will now be appearing at our doors like Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Only if you agree to tell the app where you live.
I wonder if Trump has one of these apps (crickets).
Made at the same factory/shop no doubt.
By imported workers no doubt.
Cruz has a clothing line?
The ones he wears. Like all of them...
I suspect it also plays some sort of brain wave disrupting tone that causes hapless supporters to write nasty zotworthy posts.
Yes. If you downloaded his app, then Ted Cruz knows where you live. He stays up at night memorizing addresses...he knows...spooky... Or, if you own your house...he knows...Have a home phone? He knows...Only him...no one else...Ted Cruz...he knows...
“Leak” makes it sound inadvertent. I doubt this was unplanned.
Does Cruz have a clothes factory?
Cruzers can’t even read a headline. LOL
ExploiTED
Nothing new. He did it in Iowa.
Interesting omissions in the “article”...
Trump has 75% of the presidential apps, Cruz has 4% according to the Symantec link, yet nothing is mentioned of any vulnerabilities in Trump’s apps.
Many of these are not official, yet, the candidates are somehow responsible?
Symantec states Cruz’s official apps have a “Low” risk and Kasich comes in with a split report card. But nothing on Trump, Bernie or Hillary...
Curious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.