

Microsoft engineer exploits Google Maps to intercept FBI and Secret Service calls - LaSombra
http://9to5google.com/2014/02/28/microsoft-engineer-exploits-google-maps-openness-to-intercept-fbi-secret-service-calls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+9to5Google+%289to5+Google+-+Beyond+Good+and+Evil

======
rbanffy
It seems Bing Maps is also vulnerable to the same kind of exploit.

~~~
adrianlmm
Citation needed.

~~~
rbanffy
It took me a couple seconds to reach this page:

[http://ubuntuone.com/2MqJu4Oa0rh0RHKLoZkkQY](http://ubuntuone.com/2MqJu4Oa0rh0RHKLoZkkQY)

From there, it seems like I could have changed the phone number rather easily.
I don't know what kind of verifications Microsoft does, but I have no reason
to assume they'd be much more thorough than Google. Except that from now on, I
am sure they will be very thorough.

------
enscr
Trust on Google is the problem, let's not call it a Google flaw entirely.
What's stopping anyone from registering a website and putting fake business
details and make it rank higher than the original one. There are millions who
won't know the difference between .gov & .com websites. Does that mean the
whole internet is broken ? Yes, probably.

------
draugadrotten
He will never fly again.

~~~
walshemj
I suspect that certain Mr Gibbs will be having a word :-)

------
kyuu
Even given that Vallywag/Gawker is the source cited for this blogspam, the
title is still inexcusable.

Some spammer who allegedly used to work for Microsoft created fake FBI/Secret
Service entries using Google MapMaker and added his phone # to them, then
recorded the calls that were made to him by people thinking they were speaking
to the FBI.

Substitute "Microsoft engineer" with "spammer" and "exploits" with "spams".

What's even more ridiculous is that the Gawker piece basically boils down to
"spammer: good, Google: evil": [http://valleywag.gawker.com/how-a-hacker-
intercepted-fbi-and...](http://valleywag.gawker.com/how-a-hacker-intercepted-
fbi-and-secret-service-calls-w-1531334747)

~~~
rantanplan
Read the article again. He didn't record the calls made to him. He recorded
the calls _after_ he connected them to the correct phone numbers(FBI, SS).

The people didn't _think_ they were speaking to the FBI. They _were_ speaking
to the FBI.

------
SchizoDuckie
A hero? hah. More like a vandal.

Since when is that the response you get from secret service and FBI? Does that
mean that white hat hackers will get the same treatment?

