Filed under: Internet, Security, Social Software
If you've been wondering why Facebook chat was mysteriously "down for maintenance" during normally high-usage hours this morning, it's probably because they were alerted this morning to a pretty serious security hole in their privacy settings.
The hole allowed for what can only be called one of the easiest exploits in recent memory; it allowed any Facebook user to see his or her friends' live chats and pending friend requests just by typing their names in the site's built-in privacy preview page. TechCrunch Europe received a tip about it, along with a link to a YouTube video (below) showing the exploit in action earlier this morning, and notified Facebook almost immediately.
Whether it's the way they've made it nearly impossible to simply upload a profile picture without getting hassled to install worthless software, or the fact that at any given point in the day, something on Facebook is horribly broken; disaffected Facebook users already have enough to worry about without having their friends eavesdropping on their private conversations.
Facebook takes chat feature offline to plug gaping privacy hole -- ready to delete your account yet? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 05 May 2010 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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