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App that lets you use other people’s Wi-Fi is blasted by Chinese state media
WiFi Master Key crowdsources login details and has over 900 million users
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Chinese state media criticized apps that let you use other people’s Wi-Fi networks, accusing them of stealing passwords and exposing private information.
WiFi Master Key is one of the most popular apps in China. It claims to have over 900 million users, and one report said it even topped WeChat as the most downloaded app in the country in August of 2016.
The app crowdsources Wi-Fi details, allowing people to hop on to private networks. Once you install the app, you’re sharing your own Wi-Fi network details with everyone else -- and they’re sharing their networks with you.
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But many say the app doesn’t just share your own network with other users. They say it also shares every Wi-Fi network you’ve connected to with your phone. Ever use a friend’s Wi-Fi, or the network at work? Those are allegedly also shared by WiFi Master Key.
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And being China, WiFi Master Key isn’t the only app of its type. One of the clones, WiFi Key, apparently showed passwords for the networks you’re connecting to.
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