Security Vulnerability in 'Call Recorder' App Exposed User Conversations

by

A security flaw in an app called "Call Recorder" exposed thousands of customer conversations, reports TechCrunch. The vulnerability was found by PingSafe AI researcher Anand Prakesh, and has since been patched.

call recorder app
The Call Recorder app is designed to allow iPhone users to record their incoming and outgoing phone calls, with those recordings stored in the cloud on Amazon Web Services.

Using a proxy tool like Burp Suite, Prakash was able to view and modify network traffic going in and out of the app, and when replacing his phone number with the phone number of another Call Recorder user, their recordings became available on his phone.

There were more than 130,000 audio recordings available, though the files could not be accessed or downloaded outside of the app. TechCrunch informed the developer about the security flaw and it was fixed in an update on Saturday.

A recent report from mobile security firm Zimperium suggested that thousands of iOS apps that use public cloud services like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure have improper setups that risk exposing user data.

6,608 iOS apps were found to be exposing users' personal information, passwords, and medical information. Zimperium CEO Shridhar Mittal said that cloud storage misconfigurations are a "disturbing trend."

"A lot of these apps have cloud storage that was not configured properly by the developer or whoever set things up and, because of that, data is visible to just about anyone. And most of us have some of these apps right now," he said.

No apps were named in the report because of the vulnerabilities involved, but some were major apps including a mobile wallet from a Fortune 500 company and a transportation app from a large city.

Tags: App Store, AWS

Top Rated Comments

Rigby Avatar
Rigby
27 months ago

Anything goes in the walled garden as long as Apple gets its pound of flesh.

Remember when they said it was going to be curated?
If you expected Apple to be able to somehow detect every bug or vulnerability in every 3rd party app, you have completely unrealistic expectations.


You're safer using the open Web, thanks to the protections of Google.
Thanks for the laugh.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MichaelMaier Avatar
MichaelMaier
27 months ago

I always wonder why people need to record a phone call, since without consent it can’t be used as evidence in a trial and might ilegal in US…… until someone from Instacart’s customer support told me to “get over it” and accept that they spy their customers but is not different from anyone else. I was like….but I’m paying for your to spy on me? And they said yes! …. I wish I have a way to record those calls.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in most US states you only need the consent from one participant of a recorded conversation.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
69Mustang
27 months ago

I always wonder why people need to record a phone call, since without consent it can’t be used as evidence in a trial and might ilegal in US…… until someone from Instacart’s customer support told me to “get over it” and accept that they spy their customers but is not different from anyone else. I was like….but I’m paying for your to spy on me? And they said yes! …. I wish I have a way to record those calls.
The laws in the US vary by state and jurisdiction. Some have 2 party consent, others only require 1 party. You are right that with consent, the recording can be used as evidence in court. I live in a 1 party consent state. Fyi, 37 other states and the District of Columbia are also 1 party consent.

With that knowledge in hand, it's not really that hard to fathom why people record calls.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deevey Avatar
deevey
27 months ago

I always wonder why people need to record a phone call, since without consent it can’t be used as evidence in a trial and might ilegal in US…… until someone from Instacart’s customer support told me to “get over it” and accept that they spy their customers but is not different from anyone else. I was like….but I’m paying for your to spy on me? And they said yes! …. I wish I have a way to record those calls.
Try calling any customer service dept multiple times. Half the time they deny having a log of the previous complaints or fail to relay the call correctly.

Being able to play the call back to their supervisor - priceless !
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
Apple_Robert
27 months ago

Anything goes in the walled garden as long as Apple gets its pound of flesh.

Remember when they said it was going to be curated?

You're safer using the open Web, thanks to the protections of Google.

If you use Safari Fraudulent Website Warning (which you probably do by default), that's a Google feature (Apple sends the URLs to Google's servers to check them).

None of this makes Apple look good in its antitrust hearings where they say consumers trust them to have a safe app store and thus can't allow third party app stores or payment services.
How is the subject of the article Apple's fault?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dk001 Avatar
dk001
27 months ago

I always wonder why people need to record a phone call, since without consent it can’t be used as evidence in a trial and might ilegal in US…… until someone from Instacart’s customer support told me to “get over it” and accept that they spy their customers but is not different from anyone else. I was like….but I’m paying for your to spy on me? And they said yes! …. I wish I have a way to record those calls.
Sadly not true.
Recently wrapped up a legal issue where party A in a State without dual consent could record and use everything while the other side living in a dual party consent State could not.

Then again it can be fun to put "your call may be recorded for quality purposes..." on your line. :eek: The telemarketers hang up fast.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
Read Full Article • 255 comments
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
Read Full Article
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
Read Full Article • 540 comments
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Read Full Article • 117 comments
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
Read Full Article • 34 comments
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Read Full Article • 162 comments
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
Read Full Article • 12 comments
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
Read Full Article • 78 comments