Slashdot Mirror
Mobile Spy Software Maker MSpy Hacked, Customer Data Leaked
pdclarry writes: mSpy sells a software-as-a-service package that claims to allow you to spy on iPhones. It is used by ~2 million people to spy on their children, partners, Exes, etc. The information gleaned is stored on mSpy's servers. Brian Krebs reports that mSpy has been hacked and their entire database of several hundred GB of their customer's data has been posted on the Dark Web. The trove includes Apple IDs and passwords, as well as the complete contents of phones that have mSpy installed. So much for keeping your children safe.
I guess some enterprising lawyer will also use it to troll for clients whose spouses have spied on them.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Look on the bright side: this is in fact the best way to educate people on what software security means.
Best way to keep them safe is to NOT INSTALL SPYWARE.
Whoever got burned had to have seen it coming. It they didn't, they will next time.
All your stuff is backed up... somewhere
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
So now, anyone who suspects mSpy was used to spy on them will search that data, find their *own* data, and sue mSpy. mSpy will give up the name of the purchaser to prove they actually aren't party to a criminal surveillance / hacking case.
The problem is this statement:
Akbar was charged with selling and advertising wiretapping equipment.
“Advertising and selling spyware technology is a criminal offense, and such conduct will be aggressively pursued by this office and our law enforcement partners,” U.S. Attorney Dana Boente said in a press release tied to Akbar’s indictment.
So it is illegal to sell wiretapping equipment.
Why are there so many companies selling and advertising such equipment to government agencies without being charged?
I needed a good laugh.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Overflowing
I'm pretty sure this is why you encrypt your database. But you know, whatever, cost money, might hurt the bottom line.
Be seeing you...
Link?
Finding an old article on mSpy:
"The mSpy technology aggregates the surveillance activity in a cloud-based, password-protected control panel, from which the user can send remote commands, including blocking access to certain programs, websites and apps, and can also restrict incoming calls or shut down and lock the phone. Now that themSpy monitoring software can be pre-installed on HTC One, Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s smartphones, the user no longer has to worry about smartphone compatibility with the software or obtaining physical access to the target phone. Smartphones with pre-installed mSpy can be purchased via the company’s website. The mSpy software-plus-smartphone bundle includes a one-year subscription to the premium mSpy software, which is priced at $200. The technology can capture a range of mobile data, including voice calls, emails, SMS, keystrokes, use of Viber, WhatsApp, Skype, chats, location and more. In order to avoid legal repercussions relating to invasion of privacy, MTechnology stipulates in its conditions that mSpy services must not be used for unauthorized surveillance and that users are required to notify people who are being monitored."
Well things like Viber WhatsApp Skype etc. certainly we know they are NSA tapped. Skype was mentioned in the PRISM document, the later ones will be later additions to the PRISM program, Viber has long been suspect due to its founders connections to the Israel spy agencies.
Location is intercepted on bulk by a lot of programs for advertising, and that location data is available to advertisers, so its available to NSA.
Voice calls? We know they intercept 100% of calls in several contries as of 2012, that capability will have increased. Certainly in the US, or UK, its simply a matter of tapping in a number and the calls are automatically recorded. General collect it all would have intercepted it all because there was nothing to stop him.
ermails? Intercepted.
So yeh, even without having access to mSpy's database (likely hacked or since they are UK based, GCHQ would have slapped a secret demand for data on them, the kind that made Vodafone and BT assist in spying on Brits).
...that the data stolen belonged to people whose privacy was already being grossly invaded, rather than to the fuckwits who thought it was a good idea to spy on their family members.
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
Can you imagine the number of lawsuits this is going to bring against the people who installed it?
Say I want to spy on my kid. (I don't, but work with me here.) How would that software work? Short of jailbreaking the phone, I can't imagine what iPhone spyware would look like. Would said kid have a Spy On Me app that she'd need to run from time to time? Even keyboard replacement apps are somewhat vetted in what information they send to their vendors, and I don't think they have access to photos, email, or anything else but the keyboard.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Well, ok, so what is the onion address?
We can't really evaluate this stuff without the source.
And the Germans are not involved!
I'm very sceptical of this claim, as the actual .onion address is blurred out in the original article, so there is no way to independently verify any aspect of this story.
Journalism/Krebs fail.
You get involved in the game, and nobody cares if you're a victim of it.
cuz only haxx0rz can do teh haxx, c?
Cerberus which is a spy/find my phone app for Android was also hacked a while back. A real treasure trove of data!
"Can't believe that it has been hacked" Really? I'm honestly surprised it took this long, and these types of apps are very high-value targets for scammers and their hacker helpers.
A company which invades the privacy of strangers, got its privacy invaded. If you don't want to be mugged, don't tell criminals how much cash you're carrying. If you don't want a privacy breach, don't leave strangers' files sitting on internet servers. This should surprise no-one, in particular, the people who were spying (and helping mSpy spy) on iPhones in the first place.
The horror is the strangers in question have no idea their documents have been copied; two times. Where's the copyright police when it's the little guy?
The mSpy service is targeted towards business phones and teenager's phones: Now a business phone shouldn't have a lot of private information on it anyway. A teenager though, will use the phone as the communication and storage device it is; putting her whole life into its memory. Copying personal information to stop pedophiles is the dumbest idea anyone has monetized: This is more than criminal negligence, it is child abuse.
Talked to them via chat on their web, they deny all the claims and say the software and customer data is safe.
What was the nature of the hack? What Operating System and platform does MSpy keep its customer database on?
"Several hundred GB" divided by "~2m people" equals "a couple hundred KB per person."
These days, that's a tiny amount of data to be "complete contents"
Why would these idiots be surprised given that they are knowingly installing an application we would consider malicious under "normal" circumstances. Security or knowledge through spyware/malware/viruses/(insert the ones I have forgotten here) isn't security in my opinion.
Fucking LMAO. Putting spyware on their phones is not how you keep children safe. The rest of the potential use cases are for stalkers. Nice job, guys.