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Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

mackeepersecurity.com

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Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#31

Post by codedokode »

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #30
noxToken wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the past, a keyboard was a physical thing with keypresses that were just keypresses. You could pick out what physical keyboard you wanted based on some preference, but it was up to the OS to determine input events from the keyboard. It's a whole different ballgame now. Aside from the spacing/layout/etc. preferences from a soft keyboard, they function differently. Samsung's default keyboard is by far the worst thin…

Yeah, well I remember when I had to punch drivers in via the front panel before I could even use my keyboard.

On the good side, those drivers didn't have Internet connection capability.

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#32

Post by coldcode »

fredley wrote: post #10
mtgx wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I'm a believer in this type of regulation - you have two options: 1) Collect only the data strictly necessary for the functioning of the service. If you suffer a data breach, you used security best practices, and notified the corresponding authorities and your users in due time, then you shouldn't be punished at all, with very few exceptions. If you didn't use best security practices, you may see some sma…

Absolutely. Good regulation is that which effectively disincentivises anti-consumer behavior. Businesses are playing risk/reward games all the time, and regulation should just pile on some huge extra risk in places where it's needed to protect consumers, and the health of the market as a whole.

That only works if you and the developer are in the same legal environment.

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#33

Post by wlesieutre »

berberous wrote: post #24
wlesieutre wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, that's a good policy. Wasn't aware since I use the stock keyboard everywhere. I tried some alternate ones for swype style typing, but frankly they were all worse than the stock Google keyboard from my days on Android so I gave up on it and learned to type with my thumbs again.

If you haven't tried it, Google's GBoard is now on iOS and is quite good.

Thanks for the recommendation! It does seem good.

Bummer that it has a giant search bar at the top of the keyboard, which is an enormous waste of space on an iPhone SE. If you don't give it full access, the same space is used to constantly beg for full access to turn on the search bar, and accidentally touching that will pull you out of your app over to the Gboard app, which gives you a button to open the Settings app.

I can see why they do it. No way to serve ads to the keyboard, so searches are the only way to make money off of it. Shame they had to crap it up though, I'd have happily paid money for this keyboard, but I think I'll have to pass.

In keeping with this thread, I'm not that into the idea of giving Google access to my keystrokes even if they pinky-swear to not use them. We're talking about the same company currently being sued for deliberately working around iOS's privacy protections:

https://9to5mac.com/2017/11/30/google-safari-work-around-cla...

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#34

Post by vbernat »

wlesieutre wrote: post #33
berberous wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you haven't tried it, Google's GBoard is now on iOS and is quite good.

Thanks for the recommendation! It does seem good. Bummer that it has a giant search bar at the top of the keyboard, which is an enormous waste of space on an iPhone SE. If you don't give it full access, the same space is used to constantly beg for full access to turn on the search bar, and accidentally touching that will pull you out of your app over to the Gboard app, which gives you a button to open the Settings ap…

On Android, this search bar can be disabled. Maybe it's the same on iOS.

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#35

Post by tambourine_man »

These guys write Mac malware for a living and use nefarious tactics to fool users into installing it, while making it really hard to uninstall. I've seen it on the Mac of many less technically inclined people.

Things like: “your Mac has been infected, click here” while the user is downloading some torrent or watching porn. Faking the system's dialog boxes, using chatbots “is your Mac slow?”, etc.

I'm amazed Apple hasn't banned them from the Mac App Store. I don't know how these people sleep at night.

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#37

Post by danjc »

hectorr1 wrote: post #20

Can someone clarify whether 'Full Access' allows logging of keystrokes on the standard keyboard by these developers? Or doe they just get to see which Rick and Morty gifs I search for when I switch to their board?

Full access permits the normally sandboxed keyboard app to access the internet so in theory means the app developer could have the keyboard log and send all keystrokes

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#38

Post by danjc »

hectorr1 wrote: post #20

Can someone clarify whether 'Full Access' allows logging of keystrokes on the standard keyboard by these developers? Or doe they just get to see which Rick and Morty gifs I search for when I switch to their board?

But the third party keyboard can't access the default keyboard (or any other third party keyboard for that matter).

Re: Virtual Keyboard Developer Leaked 31M Client Records

#39

Post by g09980 »

tambourine_man wrote: post #35

These guys write Mac malware for a living and use nefarious tactics to fool users into installing it, while making it really hard to uninstall. I've seen it on the Mac of many less technically inclined people. Things like: “your Mac has been infected, click here” while the user is downloading some torrent or watching porn. Faking the system's dialog boxes, using chatbots “is your Mac slow?”, etc. I'm amazed Apple ha…

MacKeeper ads was the reason I finally started using AdBlock. Terrible advertising (including modal alert popups) seemingly optimized to mislead computer novices, and many forum posts out there asking "How do I get rid of this thing."
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