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SnapChat’s Source Code Exposed on GitHub

Snapchat confirmed the news of source code leak after an iOS update.

Some of the Snapchat’s source code was exposed on the code repository platform, GitHub. This information was obtained probably when the company messed up and update to the iOS previous this year in May.

Immediately after the incident, Snapchat filed a takedown Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown request. Fortunately, the leak was soon fixed and no user or company data was compromised in the incident. However, a small portion of data was leaked on GitHub that compelled Snapchat to file the request.

A security researcher tweeted about the removed source code and asks for the mirror of the repository that was deleted. Also, a link to the takedown request by the Snapchat employee was attached which includes a number of questions the requester must respond. Gizmodo quotes, “Nearly every answer is written entirely in capital letters, save for the two responses requiring the submitter of the DMCA request, whose name is redacted, to copy and paste a provided statement.”

In a response to Motherboard, Snapchat told that their application was not compromised by the leak and it had no impact on their community.

However, as pointed out by Motherboard, the use of DMCA request isn’t a new way to remove private source code and intellectual property. In reference, the incident of Apple’s iBoot software source code leak was highlighted which appeared earlier this year on GitHub.

Rebecca James is an IT consultant with forward thinking approach toward developing IT infrastructures of SMEs. She writes to engage with individuals and raise awareness of digital security, privacy, and better IT infrastructure.

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