And we look at the applications that actually come by default with the phone. And one of the things we noticed is a small permission issue with the camera application of the phone. Since we managed to do that also, while a phone call is taking place, we could eavesdrop to conversation of both sides during the phone call.
To top it all, this is something that we managed to do when the screen was off, and even when the phone was locked. And the victims would not even be able to tell that something is going on. LO: So it seems like in terms of permissions that attackers could specifically circumvent, you focused on taking pictures, taking videos, and then was well, you also focused on the various storage permission policies.
Is that what linked to the geolocation that you mentioned too in terms of collecting that GPS metadata? The thing is that I think most of the application these days, request the storage permission. Some of them are not necessarily regarding pictures or videos. And this is not something that will raise any suspicion or red flags with a user.
But when we got the storage permission, it was very easy to get pictures and videos taken in live or from past sessions, and to get all the information from them. LO: So talk about how an attacker could launch this attack, right? EY: Yes, this is exactly the vector of attack. The application we created was kind of a fake weather app. But it could be also anything else.
Or would they see the storage permission but not see that that implies that an attacker could have those broader set of storage permissions or what would a potential user see from from their standpoint?
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And that was kind of fun for us as researchers because it was kind of an evolution of the attack. First we managed to invoke a selfie, but obviously, the victim would both see the screen taking a picture and also hear the click of the shutter of the camera. As you said, the storage permission is nothing that would raise the red flag. And also after taking a video or a picture without the victim knowing, that we could have deleted it from the storage after sending it to the hacker.
So there is absolutely no trace. LO: Right. Now you guys were using the Google Pixel 2 XL on the Google Pixel 3 when you started researching the Google camera app, but then you found after further digging that the same vulnerabilities are on camera apps of other smartphone vendors, right? How many vendors are potentially impacted? And they actually contacted all the vendors of the Android ecosystem.
They indeed told us that there are some vendors that are affected by the same thing. And we did not actually bother to check because our goal is basically to let everyone know that they need to check their apps. There might be other companies that have. LO: Yes, I mean, speaking of disclosure, you mentioned in the research that when you reach out to Google, you had a positive experience in terms of disclosure and rolling out patches, can you talk a little bit about what they did to mitigate the issue and the process of rolling out those fixes. Usually they are very serious with triaging the issues.
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And the same happened here. Quite quickly, they triaged it and decided that this the severity of this issue is high. The first release of the patch fixed the issue, but they were not sure that it does not break other functionalities.
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So we decided to wait with the publication until they release the final patch. And we definitely understood that. But when it comes to third party app permissions in general, I feel like this is really becoming a bigger issue in terms of data privacy and data collection, especially because videos and photos are so personal. Definitely if there are children or the specific app is, is really trending. This is something that we need maybe to put more more focus and awareness on and education of consumers.
And if it makes sense.
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But in general, try to download only applications that you really feel secure about. Are these patches automatic at this point, or do they need to update? So if users have automatic updates on your phone turned on then they should be safe. If not, turn it on and to update all the applications not only the camera application, in general to keep your operating system and applications up to date is always a good idea.
This is just an example. But these findings are happening all the time with different severities and different applications. So this is just a general rule of thumb that should be followed. LO: Great. And Erez one final question. Already there'd been an uptick of criticism over the company's data collection practices and, thanks to Facebook, increasing consumer scrutiny over how customer information is being used.
It's just the latest test of our trust in Google. In July, the Journal reported that employees at the companies behind some third-party Gmail apps could read your inbox if you integrated those apps with your Gmail account. A month later, the Associated Press reported that Google was still tracking users even if they'd turned off a setting called Location History. On Tuesday, Google didn't address those privacy concerns directly, but it did give a nod toward security.
Osterloh mentioned products like Google Play Protect for Android devices and Titan , a security key Google released in August that's been integrated into the company's mobile hardware. Still, on stage Google tried to turn the attention to the latest bells and whistles, and not privacy woes. The company announced new features that take better group selfies, and a screening feature for the Pixel 3 that lets you avoid calls from telemarketers.
It also announced a revamped version of the Google Home app and a wireless charging device for the Pixel. Whatever the specifics of the hardware, data is the lifeblood of Silicon Valley.
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Google wants to sell you phones and smart speakers because it knows people aren't searching for things on Google. They're telling their Google Home devices to play curated playlists, or using maps on their smartphones to navigate to their favorite restaurants. The more Google knows about you and your interests, the more valuable its ads become to marketers who pay the company to target potential buyers based on their likes, dislikes, age, interests and even location.
But while the software giants of Silicon Valley have mined data for years, hardware has also become a key part of their business. Amazon first unveiled its Alexa assistant and Echo smart speaker in Last month, it unveiled a deluge of new products, including a wall clock, subwoofer and microwave. Facebook joined the fray on Monday, announcing its long-rumored video chat device, called Portal.
Facebook has spent the last two years reckoning with a crisis of user trust. The social network is still reeling from the Cambridge Analytica scandal , in which the UK-based digital consultancy co-opted the personal data of roughly 87 million people without their permission. And two weeks ago, Facebook disclosed a massive hack that affected 50 million people.
In the face of all that, the social network still decided that now is a good time to sell hardware for your living room. Google has sold hardware for years, and it got really serious about the market three years ago.
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In , the company tapped Osterloh, a former Motorola executive, to lead a dedicated team focused on creating consumer devices. But now, after getting a relatively free pass as Facebook has endured a barrage of scandals, Google has been getting hammered for its treatment of data. Google knows privacy in the home can be an especially touchy subject. The company's new Home Hub doesn't have a camera, unlike Facebook's Portal.
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