A little-known bug feature in Chrome OS is that it is possible to view Wi-Fi logs to gain information about a user's location and track you. Utilizing Chrome OS's Guest mode feature, the attack can be executed without knowing the user's password or access to the device using guest mode. You will learn about a bug and how to disable guest mode.
Chrome OS bug can track locations
According to TheVerge, the bug was discovered by a group of former Googlers called the Committee on Liberatory Information Technology.
The problem is how Chromebooks manage their Wi-Fi logs, indicating when a computer connects to the internet.
The logs can be confusing to non-technical users, but they can be decoded to reveal which Wi-Fi networks were within the computer range.
Combined with other records, that could provide insight into an owner's movements over up to seven days.
Report says that because Chrome OS stores logs in memory that is not protected by a password, they may be accessed by unauthorized parties.
Opening a Chromebook as a guest and navigating to a standard address will bring up the logs on your local hard drive. This will display all the computer logs, even if they were not generated in Guest mode.
According to Electronic Frontier Foundation researcher Andrés Arrieta, the attack has occurred and is of particular concern to marginalized and targeted communities.
Although the vulnerability won't help cybercriminals from using it, it's still an alarming issue for those who worry that their family members or co-workers may monitor them.
Because anyone with quick physical access can potentially gain access to your device, they could access the device and capture location data. Security teams who are assessing and categorizing bugs should consider information such as this in their assessments.
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How to Turn off guest mode
As a result of this bug, it is suggested that the guest mode should not be made available until the issue is resolved.
The Google Support website has a solution that describes how guest mode can be turned off:
When guest browsing is disabled, users will need to use their Google accounts to access the Chromebook.
- If you are currently signed in as a guest, please sign out.
- Sign in to your Chromebook with the account of the owner.
- Choose the time at the top right-hand corner-select Settings.
- Select the Manage other people option in the "People" section.
- Make sure that Enable Guest browsing is turned off.
Note: Whenever you are working or attending school while using your Chromebook, you can't turn off guest browsing.
The bug will no longer affect you after you have done all these steps. This is, however, only a temporary fix as the company will release an update soon to resolve this issue.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Lionell Moore
