Google has recently patched a vulnerability in its Gmail service after it was discovered by a 14-year-old American student earlier this week.
The vulnerability could trigger JavaScript code to run when viewing an email in Gmail. This capability could allow hackers to execute “malicious” code to take over Gmail accounts.
The flaw was identified by Anthony, a 14-year-old student, while browsing articles on Google’s blog. Upon being notified of this issue, Google quickly developed a fix to prevent exploitation by hackers.
In fact, numerous vulnerabilities in online services are discovered on a regular basis. Last December, Google patched a security flaw in the engine used to generate error pages or non-existent pages on its website. This vulnerability had previously provided opportunities for phishing activities, account theft, and other types of attacks.
Similar vulnerabilities have been identified and rectified in other sections of Google’s website, as well as on Xbox 360 (Microsoft), Yahoo Mail, and others.
