CBS Sports App Left User Data Vulnerable During March Madness

CBS Sports App Left User Data Vulnerable During March Madness

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Apr 13, 2016

Millions of college basketball fans used the CBS Sports app and website during the March Madness tournament may have had their personal information leaked by the popular sports channel due to the lack of encryption on the data.

A report by mobile data management and security firm Wandera found a data leak on the CBS Sports app (downloaded 5 million to 10 million times on Google Play and one of the top sports apps in the iTunes store) and mobile website during the tournament, which allowed for user data to be compromised.

While CBS Sports denies any kind of breach, Wandera says that they found that anyone using their mobile device on public Wi-Fi would have been exposed to the vulnerability.

The report found that both Andriod and iOS versions of the CBS Sports app and the CBS mobile website failed to protect user names, dates of birth, email addresses, account passwords in clear text and ZIP codes. Credit card and social security information was not revealed, however.

Wandera said that just because they were able to tap into that information does not mean that an attacker already has, but it is possible. CBS Sports denied the claims of a data breach and said it is rigorous about monitoring its platforms for any potential security issues.

"There was no data breach on either the CBS Sports app or mobile site," CBS Sports Digital said in a statement. "We take issue with outside companies publicizing the security operations of other firms for their own purposes rather than user protection."

Wandera says it came across the vulnerability unexpectedly while doing research on sports applications ahead of March Madness. As its engineers tracked data across multiple sports sites, they noticed data coming across its cloud service from CBS.

Once the vulnerability was discovered, CBS was immediately notified. After about a month, CBS notified Wandera that the problem had been fixed.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

  • Nothing Artificial About this Intelligence

    I have been looking forward to this year’s GSX show in New Orleans, the Cresent City, or if you prefer The Big Easy. It seems like quite a while since we’ve been here. Twenty years ago, ASIS, as it was known then was literally washed out of the city by someone known as Katrina. It is a good thing to come back to NOLA. Read Now

  • From Monitors to Mission Control

    Security Operations Centers (SOC) were once defined by rows of static monitors, each displaying a single feed with operators quietly watching for issues. That model has become obsolete. Incidents evolve too quickly, data comes from multiple locations, and decisions must be made in seconds—not minutes. Read Now

  • New Gas Monkey Garage Venue Uses AI-Enhanced Video Technology

    Gas Monkey Garage, the automotive custom shop and entertainment brand founded by Richard Rawlings of Fast N’ Loud TV fame, has opened a vibrant new restaurant and bar in South Dakota, equipped with advanced, AI-enhanced video tech from IDIS Americas. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.