- Jan 8, 2011
- 22,361
ComputerWorld: Android one-click Google authentication method puts users, businesses at risk
A researcher has released a proof-of-concept Android app that can steal 'weblogin' authentication tokens for Google accounts
A researcher has released a proof-of-concept Android app that can steal 'weblogin' authentication tokens for Google accounts
IDG News Service - A feature that allows Android users to authenticate themselves on Google websites without having to enter their account password can be abused by rogue apps to give attackers access to Google accounts, a security researcher showed Saturday at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas.
The feature is called "weblogin" and works by generating a unique token that can be used to directly authenticate users on Google websites using the accounts they have already configured on their devices.
Weblogin provides a better user experience but can potentially compromise the privacy and security of personal Google accounts, as well as Google Apps accounts used by businesses, Craig Young, a researcher at security firm Tripwire, said during his talk.