Security flaw shuts down Telecom's mobile e-mail

By PETER GRIFFIN

Telecom has shut down its mobile e-mail service as it rushes to fix a security flaw that is allowing some customers to glimpse private messages sent over its wireless network by other users.

Local IT commentator Bruce Simpson on Friday posted an article on Australian website zdnet.com.au reporting the glitch, which affects users connected to Telecom's CDMA network who are sending e-mails via WAP-enabled mobile phones.

A Telecom support desk staffer told Simpson that the information sent during a WAP (wireless application protocol) session remained for a 60 second period after a user logged off. Another customer connecting to the network using the same "port" within the short time frame was then able to view the previous user's message.

Telecom spokesman Andrew Bristol said "three or four" complaints had so far been received about the problem which Telecom has so far been unable to replicate in tests.

Nevertheless, in excess of ten thousand people were registered to use the service, which would remain shut down until at least tomorrow.

Bristol appeared to be laying the blame at the feet of Telenor Norway-owned djuice, a mobile portal providing WAP and SMS technology to telecoms worldwide - including Telecom.

"It's particularly complicated how we hook up to djuice, which of course is a third party product," said Bristol.

The security breach is an embarrassment for Telecom as perceived security issues with wireless networks emerge as a major factor threatening to hold the technology's development back.

Telecom's sole rival in the local mobile space, Vodafone, on Friday revealed it had picked up an additional 51,000 customers in the three months to March 31. Vodafone now has just under 1.1 million customers, 78 per cent of which a pre-paid mobile users. Pre-paid customers are worth on average $287 per year to Vodafone while higher-value contract customers are worth $1,812 on average.

Vodafone spokesman Raphael Hilbron said Vodafone's early move into pre-pay and the advantage it gives users in budgeting were behind its popularity.

"We launched the product so early in the piece no one else had it in the market. There seems to be a huge appetite for it among New Zealand consumers."

Globally, Vodafone's results for the quarter disappointed with overall growth in customer numbers of 1.3 million coming in below analysts forecasts of up to 1.9 million.

Growth in mobile data services exceeded 11 per cent in the year to March. Hilbron said a similar growth figure was achieved in the New Zealand market.

ZDnet