 Teenager Claims To Find Code Flaw In Gmail |
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 Mar 11 2006, 01:33 AM
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#1
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Advanced Member  Group: Members Posts: 143 Joined: 9-March 06 Member No.: 19,721  |
QUOTE A teenage blogger claims to have discovered a flaw in Google's Gmail service that allows JavaScript to run, potentially allowing a malicious hacker to gather e-mail addresses or compromise an account. The supposed flaw may already have been fixed, however. Advertisement: The teenager identifies himself in his blog as a 14-year-old named Anthony. His entry about Gmail is here. He wrote that he was trying to e-mail JavaScript code from a Yahoo account to a G-mail account. The code will run in a preview pane, he wrote. But if the code is mailed from one Gmail account to another, it is filtered out, he said. Some visitors to the blog reported being able to replicate the findings, but others said later that they were not able to and that the supposed flaw had been fixed. Google representatives in London could not immediately comment, saying the report would be forwarded to their technical staff. a very interesting article, you can find the original piece here If a kid like that found out this error before a hacker did, think what would have happened if someone used it before they got a chance to even fix the thing. Google got lucky this time.  Hope they don't have any more flaws, i rely a lot on my Gmail account. next best thing next to sliced bread! 
This post has been edited by dark_drgn: Mar 11 2006, 01:40 AM |
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Mar 11 2006, 03:19 AM
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#2
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Premium Member Group: Members Posts: 183 Joined: 27-June 05 From: Minnesota Member No.: 8,734 |
That is interesting.... I think it is the first flaw I have heard of google having, besides that one time when someone hacked google and changed everything to 1337 language. The awsome thing is you are able to choose the 1337 language in the language settings
But yea, it is very good that a hacker did not exploit it, it could have been bad for google if someone exploited it. |
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Mar 11 2006, 04:09 AM
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#3
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 143 Joined: 9-March 06 Member No.: 19,721 |
1337 Language? I thought that google did that on purpose or something I didn’t think that someone actually hacked into the system or something.
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Mar 11 2006, 05:28 PM
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#4
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Super Member Group: Members Posts: 293 Joined: 17-December 05 From: Error 404 Member No.: 15,848 |
I knew that anything as good as Gmail deffinitely had to have more flaws other than the security and prviacy problems that have to be considered occasionally. It's good this was found out before a malicious use could be put forth, at least as somebody previously stated. If a person did, they'd probably sell all of the emails to spammers for quite the giant wad of cash.
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Mar 12 2006, 01:11 AM
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#5
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 143 Joined: 9-March 06 Member No.: 19,721 |
As for the rumors you've heard about Gmail shutting down or something. It could very well be true, as you can see, you still have to be invited to use it. And it still says Gmail Beta on the login page. This is done so that if there is a major problem with it and if they want to shut it down, they won’t be blamed. Since it is still in “Beta”, they won’t be held responsible for anything that happens. It would indeed be evil if it did happen. But I highly doubt that they would have the guts to pull something like that off. It would probably send their stock plunging if they did.
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Apr 12 2006, 02:39 PM
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Newbie [Level 1] Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: 11-April 06 From: Pakistan Member No.: 21,659 |
All these things might be true but i have not heard ever that any gmail account had been hacked.
QUOTE(dark_drgn @ Mar 11 2006, 06:33 AM)  a very interesting article, you can find the original piece here If a kid like that found out this error before a hacker did, think what would have happened if someone used it before they got a chance to even fix the thing. Google got lucky this time. Hope they don't have any more flaws, i rely a lot on my Gmail account. next best thing next to sliced bread! |
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May 27 2006, 02:55 PM
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#7
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Super Member Group: Members Posts: 245 Joined: 11-June 05 From: india-mumbai Member No.: 8,095 |
Oh thats interesting facts..
But i don't think google can ever think to shut their gmail.. People are highly dependent on it and would loose their trust if they did so.. |
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May 29 2006, 12:35 AM
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#8
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Newbie [Level 2] Group: Members Posts: 26 Joined: 28-May 06 Member No.: 24,441 |
QUOTE(dark_drgn @ Mar 10 2006, 06:33 PM) a very interesting article, you can find the original piece here If a kid like that found out this error before a hacker did, think what would have happened if someone used it before they got a chance to even fix the thing. Google got lucky this time. Hope they don't have any more flaws, i rely a lot on my Gmail account. next best thing next to sliced bread! I don't really get it. So some guy e-mailed javascript too himself, and it showed a directory of a bunch of e-mails and passwords? This makes absolutly no sense, please clarify this for my pea-sized brain to comprehend. |
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May 29 2006, 04:58 AM
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#9
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Super Member Group: Members Posts: 475 Joined: 22-August 04 Member No.: 877 |
Man having a 14 year old kid that knows about java script figure out a flaw in a very popular email really makes me and maybe some of you sound really careless. I mean if i did something like that i probably wouldnt even think about it and i would end up forgeting about it and wouldnt make a big deal about it.
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