A Researcher Figured Out How to Reveal Any Phone Number Linked to a Google Account
1 min read
Summary
An independent security researcher called Brutecat discovered a flaw in Google’s systems that allowed them to ascertain the telephone numbers linked to Google accounts.
This information is not normally publicly available and is considered sensitive.
The problem has since been fixed by Google, but at the time, it presented a significant privacy issue.
Armed with the telephone number, hackers, known as SIM swappers, could take over a person’s phone number and use it to break into multiple accounts.
This type of hacking has been linked to the theft of usernames, cryptocurrency, and other financial information.
The FBI warns people not to publicly advertise their phone numbers as this creates opportunities for hackers.
