Google knows every single Android user's WiFi password

New privacy issues have come to light surrounding Google's Android mobile OS. Experts on the matter are claiming that back up tools in the operating system make it so that a copy of every person's WiFi password (or the password of other networks you log onto) is being stored on Google's servers. Unfortunately, this might mean that Google could be legally forced to hand over the data at the government's request for one reason or another.

In Android 4.2, the back up service under Settings, lists WiFi passwords as part of the data that will be included, where as earlier versions of the OS did not specifically mention that. Although the feature can be turned off, users lose other, helpful functionality like bookmarks etc.

The main problem here is beyond the fact that Google is storing the passwords. The company is storing them in such a way that means it can read the passwords if it wants to. This is clear to see by the way new Android devices can suck in old passwords, login data and device settings from Google servers, once you have setup your Gmail address and new password.

Obviously, this functionality has its up sides, we can easily manage passwords for several devices and services this way, but it certainly leaves the networks we use in a much less secure state than we may have originally thought. Although this isn't shocking in the least, it is surprising that Google would leave these passwords in a readable form as well as opening itself up for an almost guaranteed public back lash if the government ever does strong arm them for that data.

Apple finally releases Java patches for Flashback malware

Apple silently released security patches for Java, addressing 12 separate flaws yesterday after their OS X operating system was found to be vulnerable to the Flashback Trojan. In fact security experts were so worried about the potential for damage from the malware that they recommended ditching Java until it had been plugged.

While those using Microsoft’s Windows OS were at the highest level of risk initially, the Mac Security blog Intego found a new Flashback variant in the wild at the beginning of March, created to specifically target Apple OS X users.

The new update is available from the update manager for OS X 10.6 and 10.7 operating systems and is described by Apple as targeting “multiple vulnerabilities [that] exist in Java 1.6.0_29, the most serious of which may allow an untrusted Java applet to execute arbitrary code outside the Java sandbox. Visiting a web page containing a maliciously crafted untrusted Java applet may lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user. “

Further investigations by Sucuri Security located a considerable number of infected websites using older releases of WordPress with the "ToolsPack" plugin installed. Analysis of this plugin revealed it was simply a backdoor that allowed hackers to execute any code on the infected website. It is believed these sites are re-directing the browsers of Mac OS X users to webpages containing the new strain of Flashback malware. 

Whilst it is good that Apple has finally patched the vulnerabilities that Windows users saw updates for back in February, it is rumored that one critical flaw remains, which F-Secure says is being actively discussed on underground forums where money is also being exchanged in return for the exploit code. 

"It is strongly recommended to update your Java client to the latest version, disable it when not needed, or better yet, remove it completely if you don’t really need it," the security firm said in a blog post yesterday.

Attacks are rarely as serious in nature on Apple’s OS X platform, but there is no doubt that exploits are increasing as hackers realize the value of targeting their OS. More alarmingly, the Flashback malware has also opened up another potential problem – Apple by all accounts has been very slow to respond to the security fixes that Oracle released for their affected software used on Windows back In February.