"Qatar: 'Huge' Security Weakness in COVID-19 Contact-Tracing App"

Amnesty International discovered critical vulnerabilities in Qatar's mandatory coronavirus contact-tracing app, which have now been fixed. The app is intended to help slow down the spread of COVID-19 by alerting users when they are near someone who has tested positive for the infectious disease. The discovery of serious weaknesses in Qatar's EHTERAZ contact-tracing app configuration, further emphasizes the need for governments to implement privacy safeguards for such apps. Findings from the investigation of the app conducted by Amnesty's Security Lab revealed a vulnerability that would have allowed attackers to gain access to highly sensitive information about more than one million users, such as names, health status, location, and more. This article continues to discuss the purpose of Qatar's contact-tracing app, Amnesty's discovery of vulnerabilities contained by the app, and the importance of incorporating privacy and data protection into the design of such apps.

Amnesty reports "Qatar: 'Huge' Security Weakness in COVID-19 Contact-Tracing App"