Magic Kinder Android App Lets Strangers Send Images, Videos To Your Kids (softpedia.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The scenario which all parents hate seems to have materialized in the form of an Android app [called Magic Kinder] that lets strangers send texts, images, and videos to kids. All of this is facilitated by a simple app design and lack of encryption, which allows attackers to manipulate HTTP requests and send any content they like to any of the app's users. Currently, because the app developer did not respond, the issues are still present in the app. Fortunately, the app hasn't been installed on more than 11,000 devices.

Comments

strangers

[turkeydance]

have the best videos

Strangers and kids, you say...

[rmdingler]

The scenario which all parents hate seems to have materialized in the form of an Android app [called Magic Kinder] that lets strangers send texts, images, and videos to kids.

I understand the Facebook lawyers have filed for relief for prior art.

Strangers? Kids?

[sexconker]

So like, every communication app out there from Snapchat to Line to Skype to WhatsApp to the browser?
Kids will add anyone on any service. More so if you try and prevent it.

unhealthy chocolates

[ooloorie]

Judging by the name and typography, this appears to be related to Kinder chocolates, a low quality, high sugar chocolate marketed to children. If you're worried about your kids' health and well being, that kind of junk food is much more likely to hurt them than some weird video sent to them by a stranger.

How does this differ from McDonald's advertising?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ronald is definitely a stranger.

"Won't somebody *please*...!!"

[Zanadou]

Obligatory Simpsons reference.

Uh, right.

[msauve]

"the app hasn't been installed on more than 11,000 devices."

Which implies that this Android app has been installed on about 1.1 billion devices.

11,000 reviews, NOT installs !

[Anonymous Coward]

Bullshit.
  Read the fucking page on the Google PlayStore.
  It's 10,800 REVIEWS fuckwit.
  The number of installs is "500,000 to 1,000,000"

Wait, what?

[honestmonkey]

I read the title and thought that this was being touted as a good thing. "Let strangers send video and text to YOUR kids! Surprise and Delight!"

Tinder & Kinder Need To Hook Up.

[zenlessyank]

Maybe there is an app for that.

Delicious clickbait

[rebelwarlock]

I love the use of "your" in the headline. Really drives the righteous fury to a boiling point. It also puts softpedia on my blacklist permanently.

Straight to the kids? How?

[wonkey_monkey]

Magic Kinder Android App Lets Strangers Send Images, Videos To Your Kids

I had no idea so many kids were directly connected to teh interwebs.

Or did you mean directly to devices used by kids, which parents should probably be keeping an eye on anyway?

Where is the panick button?

[houghi]

The scenario which all parents hate seems to have materialized in the form of a program [called email] that lets strangers send texts, images, and videos to kids.

FTFY

Oh my god! The world will end.

Newsworthy??

[Dan East]

Bozza discovered that, because the app doesn't use encryption in any way or form, an attacker, via a proxy on the local network, can intercept traffic coming from a device with the Magic Kinder app installed.

Oh come on. The likelihood of this being exploited is basically nil. There are tens of thousands of apps that would have this kind of vulnerability. This is not remotely newsworthy enough to be on Slashdot. It sounds like either this Bozza guy is wanting publicity, or a competitor wants to damage Magic Kinder's reputation. Either way I don't care, and I doubt anyone else here on Slashdot cares either.

Banned in the US

[DrYak]

this appears to be related to Kinder chocolates

But don't worry too much. At least in the US, their chocolate eggs are banned because they contain toys (on the grounds of choking hasard).
Fear not the horrible chocolate! Your kids can safely go back to playing with their pink-painted child-marketed riffles.