API Misuse: Hacker Leaks 2.6M Duolingo Users' Emails & Names

111@zerobytes.monster to Technology@lemmy.ml – 133 points –
API Misuse: Hacker Leaks 2.6M Duolingo Users' Emails & Names
hackread.com
11

It’s the API that ALLOWED the misuse in the first place, so the developers are the ones to hold accountable.

This is a tricky one. Are the developers themselves responsible or also managers and leadership? I don't have an answer to this.

I'd call this API misdesign instead

The worst is they paint it as "not a real leak" or "not a security issue" when it's even worse than that.

This isn't surprising, a user found out how to abuse the API to progress without doing lessons by just submitting the expected parameters last year. If they followed through on reporting to Duo then they've had plenty of time to address it. Seems like the mod also found out how vulnerable Duo was and took it to it's natural conclusion.

I used my spam email and my name on there is a meme so I'm not really worried.

Well, I use a fake name and an email used only for Duolingo, so..... ok.