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Instagram Friendship Authorization Logic

Posted on 12 July 2012
Source : packetstormsecurity.org Link

 

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Vulnerability on Instagram application (Friendship Vulnerability)
- Original release date:
- Last revised:
- Discovered by: Sebastián Guerrero Selma
- Severity: 5
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I. VULNERABILITY
-------------------------
Instagram lack of control on authorization logic allows an user
to add himself as a friend of any user on Instagram social network

II. BACKGROUND
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Instagram is a free photo sharing program launched in October 2010
that allows users to take a photo, apply a digital filter to it, and
then share it on a variety of social networking services, including
Instagram's own. A distinctive feature confines photos to a square
shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast
to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras.

Instagram was initially supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch;
in April 2012, the company added support for Android camera phones
running 2.2 (Froyo) or higher. It is distributed via the iTunes App
Store and Google Play.

III. DESCRIPTION
-------------------------
The mobile application of Android & iPhone is affected by a remote
vulnerability due the lack of control on the logic applied to
authorization feature.

An attacker can perpetrate a brute force attack in the context of
user application and add himself as a friend of all the users on
Instagram, being possible in this way to get access to private
albums and profile information.

IV. POC
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http://imgur.com/aZccK

V. BUSINESS IMPACT
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An attacker can execute a brute force attack in a targeted
user's account, this can leverage to steal user private pictures.

VI. SYSTEMS AFFECTED
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Instagram

VII. SOLUTION
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Not fixed

VIII. REFERENCES
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http://www.instagram.com
http://blog.seguesec.com
http://twitter.com/0xroot

IX. CREDITS
-------------------------
This vulnerability has been discovered
by Sebastián Guerrero Selma (s.guerrero0 (at) gmail (dot) com).

X. REVISION HISTORY
-------------------------

XI. DISCLOSURE TIMELINE
-------------------------
July 10, 2012: Discovered by Sebastián Guerrero Selma
July 10, 2012: Vendor contacted including PoC.

XII. LEGAL NOTICES
-------------------------
The information contained within this advisory is supplied "as-is"
with no warranties or guarantees of fitness of use or otherwise.
Sebastián Guerrero Selma accepts no responsibility for any damage
caused by the use or misuse of this information.

 

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