Uber ‘ignored’ bug in its two-factor authentication, finds Delhi-based security researcher

Ride-hailing app Uber has reportedly ignored a security flaw — discovered by a New Delhi-based security researcher — that can allow an attacker to hack into user accounts via bypassing its two-factor authentication feature.

"Two-factor authentication is a vital part of protecting online accounts that adds a second layer of security on top of your username and password — which can be be stolen — by sending a code by text message to your phone which only you would have access to," tech website ZDNet reported late on Sunday.

"That two-factor code can be bypassed, making the second layer of security protection effectively useless," security researcher Karan Saini was quoted as saying by ZDNet.

The security bug works by exploiting a weakness in how the app authenticates a user when they log in to the platform, thereby letting the user log in to an account and easily defeat the two-factor prompt, without entering the correct code. 

Uber reportedly said the security bug "is not a particularly severe" issue.

"This isn't a particularly severe report and is likely expected behaviour," Rob Fletcher, Security Engineering Manager at Uber, said in his correspondence with Saini about the bug report.

Uber began testing two-factor authentication on its systems in 2015 but the company has yet to widely push the security feature to its users.

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