Potential twitter hijack threat warning

This afternoon's ARN newsletter has highlighted a potential security threat to twitter which could see accounts hijacked.

A feature in the Twitter API (application programming interface) can be abused by attackers to launch credible social engineering attacks that would give them a high chance of hijacking user accounts, a mobile application developer revealed Wednesday at the Hack in the Box security conference in Amsterdam.
The issue has to do with how Twitter uses the OAuth standard to authorize third-party apps, including desktop or mobile Twitter clients, to interact with user accounts through its API, Nicolas Seriot, a mobile applications developer and project manager at Swissquote Bank in Switzerland, said Thursday.

This is a potentially widespread issue that could effect common apps like tweet deck, twitter for iOS etc  Seriot used this method to build a completely legitimate program which works with Mac OS based mutli-protocol chat client Adium, but believes this security loophole could be used for nefarious purposes which could impact all users of API based twitter apps.

Read more on Seriots development and its potential security risks, at ARN HERE

Fast food Apps

Something caught my eye in this morning's email from ARN - one of their 'In Pictures' series looking at fast food apps and how they are changing the face of fast food.

They began with the new Macca's app (McDonalds Australia) which is called track my macca's - which takes users on a tour of the origins of the ingredients of 8 different products following the supply chain from farm to macca's.

The app then translates data from Macca's supply chain systems about farms, suppliers, ingredients, date, time, weather, location and other variables into an animation that incorporates the faces and voices of real farmers. The text and visuals are wry and informative. "We were very conscious of being entertaining in an adult way," says Shamini Nair, head of digital business for McDonald's Australia. "The Simpsons was the inspiration."

Screenshots of the Track My Macca's app

Other fast food restaurants in Australia have had mobile apps for a while including Pizza Hut, Dominos, Eagle Boys & Hungry Jacks.  But it is probably time some other restaurants jumped onto the bandwagon and offered a mobile app.

Have a look at the ARN top 10 HERE which lists a lot of the offering from overseas including Burger King's app which lets you order home delivery in the USA!