Gmail: Cookie Exploit Severity Mitigated For User Protection

A security hole in Google's Gmail service, which reportedly made it easy for hackers to access users' e-mail, has been corrected, Google says. The security breach made it easy for hackers to obtain and exploit users' cookie files. . . . A major security hole was discovered in Google's Gmail service, according to several news reports that surfaced over the weekend, but the problem reportedly was corrected as of Saturday.

"Google was recently alerted to a potential security vulnerability affecting the Gmail service. We have since fixed this vulnerability, and all current and future Gmail users are protected," Google says in a statement.

Simple Hack

An Israeli hacker named Nir Goldshlagger told an Israeli publication about the flaw. The vulnerability allowed hackers access into Gmail accounts by obtaining the Gmail user's cookie file, which allowed the user to log onto Gmail without retyping his or her password, according to Goldshlagger. Using the cookie, the hacker could then obtain authentication as the Gmail user.