Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Cybersecurity
    • Mobile

    Google Wallet Fails to Encrypt Some Payment Data Posing Security Risk

    Written by

    Fahmida Y. Rashid
    Published December 14, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Researchers examined Google Wallet and found a lot of customer information stored in plain text on mobile devices, making users vulnerable to social engineering attacks if malicious attackers gained access to the data.

      A high-level review of data transmitted and stored by Google Wallet shows that users can be at risk for financial or identity theft because some sensitive information is stored unencrypted, according to researchers from ViaForensics on Dec. 12. The service takes advantage of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology and brings mobile payments to Android devices.

      Information such as card holder’s name, transaction dates and locations, email addresses, expiration date, credit limit and account balance was not encrypted, researchers found. While the full credit card account number was hidden, the last four digits are stored in plain text in the app’s local SQLite database on the device. Researchers believed the risk that malicious perpetrators would be able to use the data in a social engineering attack was pretty high.

      “While Google Wallet does a decent job securing your full credit cards numbers, the amount of data that Google Wallet stores unencrypted on the device is significant,” researchers wrote.

      The risk wasn’t exposure of the credit card number, but that customer’s personal data, such as transaction history, was exposed, Mark Bower, vice-president of Voltage Security, told eWEEK. The unencrypted data was “exactly the kind of data an attacker can use to mount a social attack on the consumer to get something even more valuable,” Bower said. Considering recent data breaches and attacks, it was a “surprise” that data other than credit card numbers were not being encrypted, he said.

      Google Wallet, a new Google app and service which allows users to simply wave their Android devices to charge items to their credit card, redeem gift cards and use their loyalty cards at select retailers. Still in the early stages of deployment, the technology is not yet widely available on Android phones. Google Wallet currently supports one major credit card, MasterCard, Google PrePaid card, gift cards from retailers such as Bloomingdales and Macy’s and loyalty cards from stores such as Foot Locker and Office Max.

      Researchers used a rooted Android smartphone with Google Wallet version 1.0-R33v6. After researchers disclosed the findings to Google on Nov. 30, the company provided an updated build of Wallet, version 1.1-R41v8, on Dec. 9 for further testing, according to the blog.

      The updated build fixed the earlier issue in which transaction data was recoverable even when it was deleted or the app was reset. Google also fixed the issue in which the app created a recoverable image of the card which contained name, expiration date and the last four digits of the card number. The information on the image could have been used to trick users into providing the actual credit card number in a social-engineering attack.

      The researchers attempted a man-in-the-middle attack over Wi-Fi, forensically analyzed data stored on the device and examined system logs in the “high-level” testing. The man-in-the-middle attack was attempted during account registration and adding a new card to the app, but Google Wallet successfully thwarted the attack, ViaForensics reported.

      Researchers praised the fact that the app successfully repelled a man-in-the-middle attack and that a PIN is required to unlock the app and authorize payments on the credit card. “If a criminal can get your physical credit card, it will be far easier for them to use than if they get your Android device,” researchers wrote.

      Fahmida Y. Rashid
      Fahmida Y. Rashid

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.