Facebook source code leaked
Looks like someone has leaked out the source code for the Facebook main index page on a blog called Facebook Secrets. There are really only two possible ways that this got out into the wild. The first is that it was leaked out by a developer, or the more likely option that there just might be a security hole at Facebook which can’t be good news for the millions of people who are on it, including me. Taking a quick look at the code and verifying some of the paths that have been referenced, I can say with some certainty that this seem real and a recent version of the main Facebook page.
There are some serious issues that can arise from this. The first is that this code can be using by people to better understand how Facebook works, or for the malicious purpose of finding further security hole or bugs that can be exploited. Once an attacker starts to gain entry into the workings of a system he or she can easily locate, if any, bugs or exploits that can lead to even more headaches.
This leak can’t be good news for the guys at Facebook. It raises some questions about the security of user information. If main code can be leaked then there is a possibility of anything happening. Facebook has become such a large and profitable outfit that it virtually has a bulls-eye on it much like myspace did to attackers
[Update] Facebook has made an official response to the leaked code on TechCrunch:
I wanted to clarify a few things in your story. Some of Facebook’s source code was exposed to a small number of users due to a bug on a single server that was misconfigured and then fixed immediately. It was not a security breach and did not compromise user data in any way. The reprinting of this code violates several laws and we ask that people not distribute it further.
Thanks to you and the TC readers for helping us out on this one.
Brandee Barker
Not sure if this is the “legal” or “pr” answer to what happened, but I’m sure that we’ll be finding out if there is anything to come of this leaked code in the next few days or weeks.
