Twitter Finds Bug On Old Android

Twitter app illustration (Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - There is still hot discussion about the mass hacking of accounts of world celebrities some time ago. Now Twitter has again found a security problem or a bug that can access private messages or DMs for Android devices.

Quoting Tech Crunch, Friday 6 August, Twitter has revealed the discovery of a security bug that only affects a small percentage of users.

According to Twitter, they have fixed a bug that could potentially make some private messages accessible to cybercriminals. The malicious actor is believed to have figured out how to exploit security issues.

Screenshot of Twitter bug notification (doc. Techcrucnh)

It is known that this bug is integrated with a bigger Android security issue. These bugs can affect older operating systems. Twitter revealed that this vulnerability only affects about 4 percent of Android users, and 4 percent of users who fail to install security patches that protect against security issues of Android 8 (Oreo) and 9 (Pie) OS.

Without the patch, the Twitter application vulnerability allowed hackers to access DM and other user account details using a malicious application installed on the user's phone.

Twitter promises that users will be notified to update the app as soon as possible. Not a few users have also started to notice pop-up notifications within the application that alerted them to security issues.

We recently fixed a vulnerability caused by an underlying Android Security issue with Android OS Versions 8 and 9. We don't have evidence that it was exploited, but we're being cautious. Some of you on Android will be asked to update your Twitter app. Https://t.co/50fTcnHVEO

- Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) August 5, 2020

"Since then, we have been working to keep accounts secure. Now that the problem has been fixed, we are letting people know. We have no evidence that this vulnerability was exploited by attackers," said a Twitter spokesman.

Delivered by Twitter, he said anyone affected by this loophole would get an in-app notification to provide recommended preventative measures. Not to be missed, the microblogging social network also highlights the importance of installing Android security updates and upgrading to newer phones after older smartphones have lost support.