Twitter has discovered a new vulnerability in Android that allows hackers to access private Twitter data stored on the device. This is why the social media giant is warning people to update their Twitter apps in order to protect their data.
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The Twitter blog post does not go into detail about this vulnerability but says that it is affecting Android versions 8 and 9. This security flaw can let an attacker access private Twitter data on your device like Direct Messages by working around Android system permissions that prevent it.
For those unaware, Android 8 and 9 are Android Oreo and Pie respectively, and the latest version is Android 10. So if you happen to have a device running on Android 8 or 9, updating your Twitter app to the latest version is highly recommended. Keep in mind that this issue does not affect Twitter on Windows or iOS.
Twitter says that they currently have no evidence on whether attackers have used this exploit to target people or not, but to keep its users safe, Twitter is taking a number of steps. It is not only warning people to update their apps through in-app notifications, but it is also updating its internal processes to better guard against issues like this in the future.
