Network flaw causes Facebook user to access another account
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Call it a case of mistaken identity or something else, but one Facebook user who used their Nokia handset to access the site got an unexpected surprise. They were dumbfounded at first when the site looked a little different from what they were used to, but then were shocked to find out that it was someone else’s account they were logged into. Now the problem has been determined to be a glitch resulting from a routing problem with their network provider; AT&T Wireless. This glitch has opened up a relatively unknown flaw in the system that can have far reaching implications for everyone on the internet. Basically it boils down to the internet losing track of who was who – allowing the Facebook user to inadvertently access another user’s personal information. There were no criminal intentions uncovered obviously by the user, but it clearly exposes some loopholes surrounding the way things get routed.
source: The Boston Globe via Slashdot
source: The Boston Globe via Slashdot
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8 Comments
4. iceman23 posted on 16 Jan 2010, 14:45 0 0
This happened to me on ehobbyasia.com last week. I use at&t Fiber Optic so i don't think it is the same glitch. When I checked out on the site it thought that i was some guy in spain and i wanted to buy a $1000 Gas Sniper Rifle. Weird?
5. BigRed83 posted on 16 Jan 2010, 18:14 0 0
The fact that it's AT&T's router is not really the issue. It has happened elsewhere away from mobile servers. It could happen with your ISP just as easily, that's the scary part. This info superhighway is just a step away from the equivalent of a fertilizer truck jackknifing into a maple syrup truck; it will be smelly, sticky, and a b*tch to clean up.
8. Mateo8326 posted on 18 Jan 2010, 11:17 0 0
That shyt happen to me for like a week scared the crap out of me...i love ATT but they F'd up on that one.
