Facebook app is easy pickings for ID thieves, but only if your phone is jailbroken or stolen

If you have a Facebook account — and let's be honest, who doesn't these days? — you're likely very protective of the information housed within. Earlier this week it was discovered that the Facebook app for Apple mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad may hold unsecured login data that could be used by identity thieves wanting to break into your digital life. Now, Facebook has made an official statement on the matter, claiming that you need not worry about the potential for a breached account unless your phone has been illegally modified, lost, or outright stolen.

The exploit itself works by taking Facebook authentication data from a file within your phone or tablet and moving it to another device. The second, unauthorized device can then use this data to impersonate you and gain access to any apps that you have connected to the social network.

However, in order to gain access to this data, a would-be identity thief would need to break through the built-in security measures on your iPhone or iPad. If you've jailbroken your device — a term used for illegal software modification — you've already done much of the work a crook requires to steal your data. The exploit could also be performed if your phone is lost or stolen, but if a thief has your actual device in-hand, you likely have greater privacy concerns than whether they can browse your Facebook photos.

[Image credit: Vestman]

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This article originally appeared on Tecca

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