The Hong Kong government’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app contains serious security risks that could jeopardize the privacy of users’ personal information, an independent audit revealed.
The U.S. government-funded Open Technology Fund hired Poland-based cybersecurity firm 7ASecurity in July to conduct an audit of the “Leave Home Safe” mobile app, which found eight security vulnerabilities and four weaknesses in the software.
Similar to mainland China’s color-coded health app, Leave Home Safe tracks the user’s movement, and thereby determines people’s exposure risks.
The Hong Kong version uses a red, amber, and blue code, while the mainland adopts a red, yellow, green system, with blue and green respectively indicating the lowest risk. Only those with a blue or green code are allowed to use public transportation or enter public venues….