Users of the dating website Ashley Madison might be in danger of having their private information leaked. Aimed at couples looking for extra-marital affairs, it is easy to see why this leak could potentially cause plenty of problems.
The issue is due to an error in the website's platform. The key in charge of keeping the data secure has been malfunctioning. Due to this, private photos are no longer private.
Bob Diachenko, the chief communications officer at security firm Kromtech, created a blog post about the current issue. According to Dianchenko, private pictures are secured by a key that users can choose to send to potential dates or love interests. These keys, when sent, will allow the recipient to view photos they would otherwise have no access to.
Other users can send their own keys to people who originally denied them access, and for some reason, sending their own keys will grant them access to the other person's keys as well.
While it might not seem too harmful at first glance, the current key malfunction could lead to a leakage of private information. Potentially leaked photos could lead to damaging blackmail scenarios.
Kromtech security has informed website Ashley Madison of its security issues. The dating website has responded by limiting the number of keys exchanged between users each day. However, aside from that, Ashley Madison has not paid Kromtech's suggestions much attention.
Despite the website's flawed system, users can protect themselves from unwanted information leaks by changing their default settings. This will prevent key swaps and stop unwanted guests from viewing private photos and other sensitive information.
This is not the first time Ashley Madison compromised the safety of its users. Earlier in 2015, the dating site was hacked, and the information of several users was posted online.
