How do you know the other account exists?
I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
11–20 of 23 posts
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#12http://gmailblog.blogspot.se/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-mo... https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10313?hl=en This has been there since launch, afaik.
Thanks! Hard to believe they would let this go. The email I receive that is intended for someone else is not something I would want others to see if I were them.
Are you sure you read that second link? This is not a bug.
Click on "Your address is similar but has more or fewer dots (.) or different capitalization." to expand the explanation.
We had to add a link to this support document to the security@google.com autoresponder because people misunderstand this behaviour so often (They think they're getting someone elses mail, but someone just sent it to the wrong address).
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#13There is no security bug.
milesstandish@gmail.com and miles.standish@gmail.com are the same account.
To prove this, log out of the former, and into the latter using the same password. You will see all the same emails. Sign out and in again with m.i.l.e.s.s.t.a.n.d.i.s.h, using the same password.
Those emails you are receiving in error are probably for someone like miles.p.standish, who forgot his middle initial when sharing his address.
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks! Hard to believe they would let this go. The email I receive that is intended for someone else is not something I would want others to see if I were them.
It's impossible to receive email for someone else as Gmail blocks as unavailable all dot-added usernames when you signup for an account. E.g.: if you create abcdef@gmail.com, then a.bcdef@gmail.com , ab.cdef@gmail.com and so on become unavailable and are directed to your main account.
Not true. I have a "john.doe@gmail.com" account that is quite old and in the past year someone created the same account without the dot (johndoe@gmail.com), or at least started using it in the past year. I get email from one of their senders, or a copy I presume, to this day!
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#15This isn't a bug, though. I've been using this since I got that precious invite oh so many moons ago.
You can log in to that other account yourself, with your own password. You'll find that you have logged into your own account rather than anyone else's.
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#16http://gmailblog.blogspot.se/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-mo... https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10313?hl=en This has been there since launch, afaik.
Thanks! Hard to believe they would let this go. The email I receive that is intended for someone else is not something I would want others to see if I were them.
Perhaps the emails you received were misaddressed. I'm fairly certain that you were never able to create similar emails which differed only by periods.
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks! Hard to believe they would let this go. The email I receive that is intended for someone else is not something I would want others to see if I were them.
It's impossible to receive email for someone else as Gmail blocks as unavailable all dot-added usernames when you signup for an account. E.g.: if you create abcdef@gmail.com, then a.bcdef@gmail.com , ab.cdef@gmail.com and so on become unavailable and are directed to your main account.
Ah, the sender of the email is at fault or the person gave them the wrong email address!!!
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks! Hard to believe they would let this go. The email I receive that is intended for someone else is not something I would want others to see if I were them.
Perhaps the emails you received were misaddressed. I'm fairly certain that you were never able to create similar emails which differed only by periods.
Yes! The sender is at fault here!
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#19How do you know the other account exists?
See above threads. The sender is the one that is using the incorrect address.
Re: I Uncovered A Serious Gmail Security Bug
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's impossible to receive email for someone else as Gmail blocks as unavailable all dot-added usernames when you signup for an account. E.g.: if you create abcdef@gmail.com, then a.bcdef@gmail.com , ab.cdef@gmail.com and so on become unavailable and are directed to your main account.
Not true. I have a "john.doe@gmail.com" account that is quite old and in the past year someone created the same account without the dot (johndoe@gmail.com), or at least started using it in the past year. I get email from one of their senders, or a copy I presume, to this day!
More likely: someone typo'd johndoe's address.