EU age verification app hacked, 2 minute How to posted

4 days ago (xcancel.com)

That's not the real age verification app (there is no "EU app", every member state releases their own), it's the proof of concept that was made to demonstrate the system.

This stuff is also why the EU doesn't want the app to run on rooted devices. I don't believe there's a way to pass Strong Integrity yet, as the app doesn't support the hackable Android 8 software attestation.

  • I just want this whole idea to kindly please bog off. We shouldn't be further creating the apparatus of the surveillance state.

  • If the app wants to take advantage of mandatory hardware attestation, it has to require Android 13 or later. This would undermine somewhat the promise that the app supports a wide range of devices. Even banks don't currently enforce Android 13+.

  • > This stuff is also why the EU doesn't want the app to run on rooted devices.

    I would argue the EU doesn't want to run it on rooted devices because malware could violate the security sandbox and intercept information. This is largely the same reason why Google Pay requires SafetyNet.

    • That's exactly what this hack is doing: using root to alter the app's internal storage. The Twitter video does it manually, but the problem is the same as when one does it through automated means.

"hacked"

And then this person says the pin shouldn't be encrypted (but I bet if this was otherwise they would be complaining as well)

I think scrutiny over the apps are fine, but treating every issue with the same brush is not

> this product will be the catalyst for an enormous breach at some point

Breach of what exactly is not clear since most information never leaves the phone

  • Maybe the biometric and photos of id and possibly selfies not being deleted properly?

    • Yes (later in the thread it seems to be the case, though xcancel makes threads even more confusing)

      But more importantly, it's not being deleted from your phone. You know, your phone with all of your other photos

      Yes it should be fixed, but this "all of nothing" approach to security is just counter-productive

isnt it just a little bit funny that all this age verification is coming everywhere all at once

Shows yet again: apps are secure because people check them. And politicians will avoid it at all costs for the same reason: it exposes them to being blamed for mistakes.

There's one thing "the hackers" haven't considered, though! It's illegal to hack an app in the EU,

so the problem of bypassing age verification by hacking saved files doesn't arise at all!

/s

  • I assume it's also illegal as someone underage to access all the things protected by the age verification app. So we don't need the app then :-)

    • However, some one below 14 (at least in Germany) cannot be found guilty: sure the EU will fix that one with a legal act as well.