Navigation



Google Desktop Privacy? OR Lack Of..

Last updated: July 15, 2010 | 5,168 views

Use Netsparker


With the advent of Web 2.0 and more powerful, user friendly web applications, security and privacy concerns have increased.

Moreso with the new version of Google Desktop coming out, although this is not strictly a web application, they will be storing your data online.

Yes, version 3 adds the ability to “access your documents from anywhere”, or search across machines..meaning they’re sent to Google’s Servers.

EFF’s article about it

And yes, they will RETAIN your data for 30 days.

This means your data is stored WITH Google for 30 days, if you like it or not, so the security of your data is totally under the control of Google, not you.

Not so great eh?

Even with version 3 Google ‘connected’ its Desktop Search software.

Google has unveiled a updated version of its Google Desktop tool that will automatically transfer information between computers.

Google Desktop version 3 allows users to search and access information from any computer that runs the software, a feature that Google refers to as Search Across Computers.

A user could, for instance, access a personal file from his work PC or share information between computers in different rooms in a house.

The new version was very innocently introduced at the Google Blog.

Now there’s v.3, in which you can also search across multiple computers to find your information. You don’t have to worry about where it lives; it’s available anywhere you are. If you’ve ever created a document but forgot whether it’s on your laptop or desktop, then you can appreciate why we built this feature.

Imagine the implication of this aswell, if you can hack Google Desktop, or somehow redirect it to Search other peoples machines?

Imagine the fun we are going to have with this.

Plus the added prize now of breaking into Googles datacenter, with thousands or perhaps millions of PC’s cached their with all that lovely private data.

Something to think about eh?

We’ll be writing more about AJAX/Web 2.0 security soon, watch this space.

Share
Tweet
+1
Share
0 Shares
Posted in: Windows Hacking

, , , , ,


Latest Posts:


HTTP Security Considerations - An Introduction To HTTP Basics HTTP Security Considerations – An Introduction To HTTP Basics
HTTP is ubiquitous now with pretty much everything being powered by an API, a web application or some kind of cloud-based HTTP driven infrastructure. With that HTTP Security becomes paramount and to secure HTTP you have to understand it.
August 12, 2018 - 114 Shares
Cangibrina - Admin Dashboard Finder Tool Cangibrina – Admin Dashboard Finder Tool
Cangibrina is a Python-based multi platform admin dashboard finder tool which aims to obtain the location of website dashboards by using brute-force, wordlists etc.
August 6, 2018 - 158 Shares
Enumall - Subdomain Discovery Using Recon-ng & AltDNS Enumall – Subdomain Discovery Using Recon-ng & AltDNS
Enumall is a Python-based tool that helps you do subdomain discovery using only one command by combining the abilities of Recon-ng and AltDNS.
July 31, 2018 - 59 Shares
RidRelay - SMB Relay Attack For Username Enumeration RidRelay – SMB Relay Attack For Username Enumeration
RidRelay is a Python-based tool to enumerate usernames on a domain where you have no credentials by using a SMB Relay Attack with low privileges.
July 21, 2018 - 187 Shares
NetBScanner - NetBIOS Network Scanner NetBScanner – NetBIOS Network Scanner
NetBScanner is a NetBIOS network scanner tool that scans all computers in the IP addresses range you choose, using the NetBIOS protocol.
July 8, 2018 - 179 Shares
Metta - Information Security Adversarial Simulation Tool Metta – Information Security Adversarial Simulation Tool
Metta is an information security preparedness tool in Python to help with adversarial simulation and assess security defense preparation and alerts.
June 27, 2018 - 120 Shares


2 Responses to Google Desktop Privacy? OR Lack Of..

  1. Ben February 15, 2006 at 7:25 am #

    It truly would be a handy feature to be able to access your documents anywhere in this fashion; but, the possible security problems would make it quite risky. Especially considering the recent hack of gmail. Thanks for pointing this out, might have saved me from having a bunch MORE personal documents searchable on google.
    Try on google search: filetype:qbb
    Dangerous amount of stuff in google already.

  2. Darknet February 15, 2006 at 7:53 am #

    Ben: Yah I agree it might be a good feature, but well implemented the wrong way…30 day retention on their servers if you want to use the feature? Not a good idea if you ask me. Yeah you should check out the Google Hacks Database :)