Security Flaws Found In Top 4 Email Apps (Apple, Gmail, Outlook & Yahoo)


General


Security researchers from SquareX have found serious issues with how major email services like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo handle scanning for harmful attachments. According to SquareX, these flaws could leave millions of users vulnerable to cyber threats.


In their study, SquareX examined how well email services detected malicious attachments. They sent 100 different types of harmful documents through popular email providers like Gmail, Outlook, iCloud Mail, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL. The results were concerning: all of these services struggled to catch potentially dangerous attachments.


The types of malicious documents varied, including original harmful files from a known source called Malware Bazaar, slightly altered versions of these files, and basic documents containing harmful code. Surprisingly, even well-known threats slipped through the security checks of these email providers.


SquareX highlighted some specific examples where email services failed to block dangerous files. For instance, some providers let through files posing as harmless documents like PowerPoint presentations or Excel sheets, despite multiple antivirus programs flagging them as threats. Even when warnings were issued, some simple tweaks could bypass these safeguards.


SquareX suggests that email providers should be more transparent about the limitations of their security systems. They also recommend users consider additional security measures to stay safe from potential threats.


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