this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2024
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381
Tech Company Leaks 2FA Codes/Password Reset Links for Major Platforms (techcrunch.com)
submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
75 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A security breach exposed two-factor authentication (2FA) codes/password reset links for millions of users on platforms like Facebook, Google, and TikTok.

Key Points:

  • YX International, an SMS routing company, left an internal database exposed online without a password.
  • The database contained one-time 2FA codes and password reset links for various tech giants.
  • YX International secured the database and claims to have "sealed the vulnerability."
  • The company wouldn't confirm how long the database was exposed or if anyone else accessed it.
  • Representatives from Meta, Google, and TikTok haven't commented yet.

Concerns:

  • This leak highlights the vulnerabilities of SMS-based 2FA compared to app-based methods.
  • The lack of information regarding the leak's duration and potential access by others raises concerns.

Gemini Recommendations:

  • Consider switching to app-based 2FA for increased security.
  • Be cautious of suspicious communications and avoid clicking unknown links.
  • Stay informed about potential security breaches affecting your online accounts.
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[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No, it doesn't need sms for 2fa, that's the entire point of google authenticator. But tons of users are technologically ignorant and just don't grok how TOTP 2fa works. So Google included the least secure option for 2fa with the reasoning that something is better than nothing.

As the initial responder pointed out Google is not an SMS company, so it's not super surprising that they outsourced part of the routing process for conventional sms delivery.

[โ€“] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

As the initial responder pointed out Google is not an SMS company, so it's not super surprising that they outsourced part of the routing process for conventional sms delivery.

Yes but that third party's DB was accessible on the web. With SMS from mid-2023 in it.

Even if Google wanted to use their services, they still could've insisted on setting up the database, having their engineers remote access to it.

They just signed the contract, did bare minimum, and washed their hands off it instead of taking responsibility of their data.

That's what I meant by outsourcing security.

Edit: The server should've been purging the old data after 14 or 30 days.