Google Wallet security holes threaten both rooted and stock devices
Two security holes have been found in the NFC-based mobile payment app Google Wallet. Both rooted and stock devices are vulnerable to the flaws, though Google assures users that so long as you keep a secure screen lock on your device you won't be at risk. Check here as the updates roll in regarding Google Wallet's security concerns.
Apps & Software
Current Google Wallet customers given $5 on pre-paid cards for all the provisioning hassles
If you opened up Google Wallet today, you may have noticed there's an extra $5 sitting on your pre-paid card. It turns out it's not a glitch, it's compensation from Google Wallet in exchange to the provisioning hassles the service has been experiencing this year. In an email to all customers, the company writes:
We are happy to announce that you can now add the Google Prepaid Card back to your wallet with the newest version of Google Wallet, and any funds that you previously had on the card...
Android
Google re-enables pre-paid card re-provisioning in Google Wallet, with password-based security
Ever since initial reports about security holes in Google Wallet bloomed into a full-scale problem that gave potential thieves access to pre-paid cards, Google has been scrambling to patch up security holes and ensure users that its mobile payment solution is still more secure than your average credit card. The largest hole involved a simple process of clearing app data and re-initializing the app in order to gain access to a pre-existing pre-paid card. Google first locked down access to new...
Mobile
Google Wallet app now notifies rooted users that they're not supported
It looks like Google is closing the book on the security concerns surrounding Google Wallet. The search giant released a software update a couple of weeks ago that patched the hole that made prepaid funds vulnerable to theft, and now the company has released its solution for those with rooted devices. According to Droid Life, users on rooted phones are now presented with a warning that their device is not supported by Google Wallet, though the app will still function perfectly fine....
Google Wallet restores prepaid cards, patches re-provisioning security hole
Google has updated its blog post about the Google Wallet prepaid card security hole, letting us know that it has re-activated provisioning and also put out a fix for the original problem. Last week it was discovered that Google Wallet had a serious security issue that affected all users, in which anybody could clear the app data from Google Wallet, re-open it, and gain access to the prepaid card. In response, Google shut down provisioning for the prepaid cards altogether — until now, that...
Apps & Software
Google Wallet reassures customers of safety, turns off prepaid card provisioning
Following discoveries that both rooted and stock Android phones are vulnerable to attack, vice president of Google Wallet and payments Osama Bedier posted a letter today defending the service and reassuring customers that it is still safer than traditional payment methods. He cites that Google Wallet is protected by both an in-app PIN and a screen lock (if you have one set up), and in order to maintain security, he recommends that all Google Wallet users keep their phones unrooted, since it's...
Second Google Wallet security vulnerability confirmed, affects all users
After the news yesterday that it is possible to crack the PIN on the Google Wallet software on rooted Android devices, a second security flaw has been uncovered that affects all users. The "attack" works thusly: if somebody takes your phone, he or she can go into the app settings for Google Wallet and tap "Clear data." This will erase all of the Google Wallet data stored on the phone. When that person then opens Google Wallet, it offers its initial setup process again, including setting up a...
Google Wallet PIN cracked on rooted Android devices
The security of the PIN that protects Google Wallet transactions has been compromised — though most users won't need to worry about the issue for now, as it only applies to users who have rooted their Android smartphone. The key issue is that the PIN is stored on the device itself instead of in the secure NFC element, although it is in an encrypted format. That means that if your Android smartphone is rooted, if somebody takes your phone, he or she will be able to access the encrypted file...
