LastPass Android app tracking users, says researcher [updated]
LastPass Android app tracking users, says researcher [updated]
LastPass does more than tracking of its mobile users than any other leading countersign managing director, says a German security researcher. And these trackers tin can see a lot of what you're doing in the LastPass app.
Mike Kuketz wrote on his web log this past weekend that the current LastPass Android app contains vii trackers, as reported past online app-privacy analyzer Exodus.
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By contrast, rival password manager Dashlane's Android app has four trackers, while Keeper and Bitwarden's take ii each and 1Password's has zip. Presumably, iOS apps weren't examined.
Nearly of the seven LastPass trackers, including iv very common Google ones, are for keeping tabs on performance and crashes. But at least 3 trackers — AppsFlyer, MixPanel and Segment — are designed to send user information to third parties, Kuketz said.
"For an app that processes extremely sensitive data (passwords), this is simply an indictment," reads the Google Interpret version of Kuketz'south blog post. "Advertising and analytics modules simply have no place in this — it is completely out of the question to integrate them into password manager apps."
(In the original, in example nosotros got something wrong, that'south "Für eine App, dice äußerst sensible Daten (Passwörter) verarbeitet, ist das schlichtweg ein Armutszeugnis. Werbe- und Analytik-Module haben darin schlichtweg nichts verloren — es ist vollkommen indiskutabel, diese in Passwort-Manager-Apps zu integrieren.")
LastPass' statement
The Register, which earlier reported this story, reached out to LastPass.
"No sensitive personally identifiable user data or vault activity could be passed through these trackers," The Register said a LastPass spokesperson replied. "These trackers collect express aggregated statistical data most how you use LastPass which is used to help usa better and optimize the product."
Phoning home with lots of data
Now, equally The Register pointed out, LastPass has a lot of free users — though information technology's gear up to lose many of them side by side calendar month due to policy changes — so you might think it's entitled to make at least a little coin on them.
Kuketz thinks the LastPass trackers, which even LastPass arguably may non know much about, sent out besides much data regardless. He fired up the LastPass app and watched what the trackers transmitted dorsum to habitation base.
Co-ordinate to him, the MixPanel tracker sent out the device maker, Android version, model number, device ID, LastPass account type and whether the LastPass app had biometric login and autofill enabled.
AppsFlyer, Kuketz said, sent out most of that plus the name of the cellular network operator, the Android advertising ID and a mysterious user ID.
Some of that sounds OK, merely it's been well established past other researchers that Android ad IDs tin be used to physically rails individuals geographically.
Watching what you do
Kuketz said he created a new account using the LastPass Android app, and the Segment tracker trasmitted a message ID, the time zone, the country of location, the device IP accost, and what the LastPass app was doing — in this example, "onboarding password."
In other words, Kuketz argues, the trackers on the LastPass app tin see where you are, which language you utilise, what kind of LastPass business relationship you're using and what you lot're doing with the app, such every bit adding a new password or banking company-account number.
The trackers can't actually view the password or bank-account number you're entering, simply it's still creepy to acquire they're aware of the fields into which you're entering data.
"Extremely sensitive information such as access data, notes, banking company accounts, etc. is stored in password managers," wrote Kuketz, according to Google Translate. "And even if the trackers exercise not receive any content information, they follow the user every step of the way when using LastPass."
(Auf Deutsch: "In Passwort-Managern werden (äußerst) sensible Informationen wie Zugangsdaten, Notizen, Bankkonten etc. hinterlegt. Und auch wenn die Tracker keine Inhaltsdaten erhalten, so verfolgen sie den Nutzer auf Schritt und Tritt bei der Nutzung von LastPass.")
It's worth noting that none of the 4 other password managers mentioned above seem to use AppsFlyer, MixPanel or Segment, according to Exodus. But Dashlane does use two others that seem to rail user beliefs, and Keeper uses one of those. Bitwarden'south two trackers seem harmless, and as before mentioned, 1Password has no trackers at all.
[Update: Keeper alerted us to this blog postal service explaining it had removed the 1 perhaps problematic tracker its Android app did accept. The Exodus folio for Keeper now reflects that.]
How to opt out of this data collection
Kuketz says there'due south no mode to opt out of this data collection within the app, and nosotros couldn't find one either. Still, the LastPass spokesperson told The Register that in that location is a fashion.
"All LastPass users, regardless of browser or device, are given the choice to opt-out of these analytics in their LastPass Privacy Settings, located in their business relationship here: Business relationship Settings > Show Advanced Settings > Privacy."
In the LastPass web-browser interface, that takes you to two lines that are checked on by default: "Proceed track of login and form fill history" and "Ship anonymous error reporting data to help amend LastPass."
When clicked on, the information bubbling next to each line say, "Maintain a history of your website logins and course fills. When disabled, History and Contempo Sites will exist empty on the vault and extension, respectively," and "Anonymous data is aggregated but non shared with tertiary parties."
Kuketz says that based on his findings, LastPass users should switch to other password managers. Nosotros're going to disagree with him and go on it as our height recommendation for the best password managers, though this does open our eyes a bit.
Tom's Guide has reached out to LastPass as well, and nosotros will update this story when we receive a answer.
Update: LastPass responds to us
A LastPass spokesperson responded to our query with this statement:
"The privacy and security of our users is e'er a elevation priority at LastPass, which is why LastPass was designed with a patented naught-knowledge security model to protect sensitive customer information.
No sensitive personally identifiable user data could be passed through these trackers. These trackers are used for a express purpose — to collect aggregated statistical data most how LastPass is used to assistance us improve and optimize the product to deliver the best user experience.
We are continuously reviewing our existing processes to ensure we are prioritizing our customers' privacy and security."
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/lastpass-android-app-tracking
Posted by: shumakeroppre2002.blogspot.com
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