Facebook will reward those who report bugs in third-party apps

Facebook is expanding its bug bounty program and will begin offering rewards to those that report vulnerabilities in third-party apps that connect to its platform. Specifically, the company is concerned with the misuse of access tokens, which allow Facebook users to log into other apps and websites with their Facebook account. "If exposed, a token can potentially be misused, based on the permissions set by the user," Dan Gurfinkel, Facebook's security engineering manager, said in a blog post. "We want researchers to have a clear channel to report these important issues, and we want to do our part to protect people's information, even if the source of a bug is not in our direct control."

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook made some changes to its privacy policies and stepped up some of its security efforts. In April, it began offering rewards to those reporting data abuse on the part of app developers. Gurfinkel noted in today's blog post that app developers are still required to protect users' data and the expanded bug bounty program isn't meant as a replacement for those obligations.

Those with valid reports will be given a minimum of $500, with that amount increasing in line with the impact of the report. "Importantly, we will only accept reports if the bug is discovered by passively viewing the data sent to or from your device while using the vulnerable app or website," wrote Gurfinkel. "You are not permitted to manipulate any request sent to the app or website from your device, or otherwise interfere with the ordinary functioning of the app or website in connection with submitting your report." Affected apps will be notified and Facebook will work with them to fix the issue. Those that don't respond will be suspended until the problem has been addressed and a security review has been completed. Facebook will also notify any users affected by reported vulnerability.

Via: Wired

Source: Facebook



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2xjQy29
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs?
Read more