Yahoo Finance Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Twitter fixes an Android bug that could have allowed hackers to hijack accounts
The company will contact you if you need to take additional action.
Twitter has updated its Android app to fix a security vulnerability that could have allowed someone to see nonpublic information about your account, as well as take control of it to send tweets and direct messages. According to a blog post from the company, taking advantage of the bug involved "a complicated process" of inserting malicious code into the restricted storage areas of the Twitter Android app. The bug may have also allowed malicious individuals to access someone's location information and their protected tweets.
The company says it doesn't have evidence that suggests anyone was able to exploit the vulnerability. However, it notes, "we can't be completely sure so we are taking extra caution." The company is contacting people it thinks may have had their app exposed to the bug with instructions on how to protect their account. The bug doesn't affect the iOS Twitter app.
If you get a message from the company, it says you should follow the instructions it provides as soon as possible. Just to be sure, if you use Twitter on your Android phone, you should also update to the latest version through the Play Store as soon as possible. In the meantime, the company says you can contact its Data Protection Office to get additional about your account's security if you're concerned.
