At least 200,000 Snapchat images stolen from third-party image-saving service

[Shawn Knight]

A group of hackers on 4chan claim to have hacked a third-party Snapchat image sharing service and made away with potentially hundreds of thousands of Snapchat photos and videos that users thought had long been deleted. Many of the photos have since started showing up online.

Initial reports suggested the third-party client in question was Snapsave although we’re now hearing that the site affected was actually SnapSaved.com (past tense). Reports are conflicting at this hour but most seem to agree that there are at least 200,000 images in the stash, far more than were involved in last month's celebrity iCloud hack. Many of the Snapchat photos in question are said to be of underage teens and sexual in nature.

Snaps received over the official app vanish after just a few seconds but with a third-party app, users can save the Snaps they receive without the sender knowing.

Again, it’s unclear exactly how the hackers came into possession of the photos. Some reports suggest a traditional hack was to blame while others suspect the siphoning job has been going on for years. It’s even possible that the third-party service in question was build specifically to steal users’ images.

In a statement on the matter, Snapchat said they can confirm that none of their servers were breached and they are not the source of the leaks. Snapchat users were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that is expressly prohibited in the Snapchat terms of use agreement.

While Snapchat may not be at blame here, it's certainly not helping their overall image.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/58397-least-200000-snapchat-images-stolen-third-party-image.html

 

[Kibaruk]

Why should they care? It wasn't their fault users went on against what they didn't offered (Because this might happen btw) going to another totally different developer.

 

[BlueDrake]

Using any image based medium like this will always involve, stupid people posing sexually and taking pictures. Sharing them is their own choice, but then they cry out when it's public. The most logical thinking would be, do you feel comfortable doing this in public? If no then don't take the picture, it's bound to get online and you'll never get it taken offline. Problem is they think with one thing in mind, thus the constant repeat issue here.

You would think after maybe once or twice, having this publicly stated would get people thinking. Apparently they have the "It won't happen to me" mentality, and then when it does happen they then cry out. We had the same issues with webcams and such, now we have cameras that we can take anywhere. Taking pictures of anyone, and the camera can fit into your pocket.

Apparently the whole camera + need for nude / semi nude images, has their brain in a tizzy and need to pose for said images. Then share with their crush or such, but then there's always no thinking about consequences. Just it's becoming a thing in the news, to the point I'm sure everyone's just tuning it out. At least until it happens to them, and they start crying out for changes.

 

[Guest]

BlueDrake,

You are blaming the victim. Now you are right in pointing out that people are too naive. But think about the service Snapchat offers how they advertise their service and how it complies with the need of the victims.

Now anyone with a brain should be able to think that images can be saved using a printscreen and if such exists it can be automated as well. (potentially requiring rooting or jailbreaking).

The attack vector taken however, does not involve the victims, but the intended recipients. Who are in their idea just bending the rules and may even be trustworthy by keeping it to themselves. However the 3rd party app does apparently do more than saving the images locally and stores them on a server.

The images on that server have been leaked, be it either intentional or by yet another party remains to be seen.

But there is absolutely a need to send images through a trusted channel what services as snapchat seem to offer. And there will always be people who have a need to obtain those. In that regard those images are nothing more than money. But when it involves money people would agree way more easily that if the victim used the correct procedure the victim should be reimbursed. Oddly enough when it involves (explicit) images, people start pointing to the victim.

 

[yukka]

However stupid thee people are for sending these images, as far as they are concerned these images shouldn't exist. Snapchats product is obviously flawed. How can a third party app receive photos, is there no certification or daily updated encryption between clients on the service to stop third party functioning? At least if someone was print screening and saving locally there wouldn't be 200k of them. This is ridiculous.