4 ms·

It also recommends running an antivirus on desktop, using a VPN, using tor browser, pidgin and goes as far as discussing android as a viable option. The “lock

It also recommends running an antivirus on desktop, using a VPN, using tor browser, pidgin and goes as far as discussing android as a viable option. The “lock up your SIM” part is simply ridiculous too, this has never ever stopped anyone. This article is terrible because it has clearly been written by non-experts who should not be writing any security guides.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
Redoubts 9y ago
I’m out of the loop, what’s wrong with pidgin?
- ryanlol 9y ago
  libpurple suffers from very poor code quality, leading to tons of exploitable vulnerabilities. Just as you would expect when writing C parsers for lots of complicated protocols.
  - the_common_man 9y ago
    > libpurple suffers from very poor code quality, leading to tons of exploitable vulnerabilities. Just as you would expect when writing C parsers for lots of complicated protocols. Is this your personal feeling or do you have something to back this up? A quick look at the source code suggests it's basically like any other glib based program.
    - ryanlol 9y ago
      This is a commonly known fact, not just my personal feeling.
    - daxorid 9y ago
      These are just public ones: https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-6938/product_id-11666/Pidgin-Pidgin.html https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-6938... Filter by CVSS > 6, note the number of execs. Enjoy.
jlgaddis 9y ago
Your comments (this one, and others downthread) get downvoted to hell yet tptacek's comment [0] -- which says basically the same thing -- is at the top. WTF? [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15735789 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15735789
drdaeman 9y ago
Interesting. I'm not an security expert, but believe locking SIM card with a PIN code is a reasonably good idea to ensure in case of a stolen smartphone (non-targeted) it would be more likely thrown out as useless rather than used for any nefarious purposes. Or I'm wrong?
- ryanlol 9y ago
  SIM card PINs are not discussed in the article. Instead they recommend asking your telcos support rep to attach a note to your account to prevent sim swapping, which doesn't work.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

Redoubts 9y ago

I’m out of the loop, what’s wrong with pidgin?

ryanlol 9y ago
libpurple suffers from very poor code quality, leading to tons of exploitable vulnerabilities. Just as you would expect when writing C parsers for lots of complicated protocols.
- the_common_man 9y ago
  > libpurple suffers from very poor code quality, leading to tons of exploitable vulnerabilities. Just as you would expect when writing C parsers for lots of complicated protocols. Is this your personal feeling or do you have something to back this up? A quick look at the source code suggests it's basically like any other glib based program.
  - ryanlol 9y ago
    This is a commonly known fact, not just my personal feeling.
  - daxorid 9y ago
    These are just public ones: https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-6938/product_id-11666/Pidgin-Pidgin.html https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-6938... Filter by CVSS > 6, note the number of execs. Enjoy.

jlgaddis 9y ago

Your comments (this one, and others downthread) get downvoted to hell yet tptacek's comment [0] -- which says basically the same thing -- is at the top. WTF? [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15735789 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15735789

drdaeman 9y ago

Interesting. I'm not an security expert, but believe locking SIM card with a PIN code is a reasonably good idea to ensure in case of a stolen smartphone (non-targeted) it would be more likely thrown out as useless rather than used for any nefarious purposes. Or I'm wrong?

ryanlol 9y ago
SIM card PINs are not discussed in the article. Instead they recommend asking your telcos support rep to attach a note to your account to prevent sim swapping, which doesn't work.