Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Sex Buddies Not One-Nighters, Experts Warn As Pandemic Pushes Unwanted Celibacy

  • Creating and Cultivating Intimacy at the Rainbows End Sex Tech Hackathon

  • Silicon Valley’s Blind Spot When It Came to OnlyFans and Sex

  • Affording Pleasure: How Universal Basic Income Will Transform Sex

  • 3 Sexy Gifts to Get Your Long-Distance Significant Other

  • Get Your Pole-dancing Fix at Naughty America’s Virtual Strip Clubs

  • Sex Toys Are Good for Male Sexual Health, Too

  • ‘Exo’ Strap-on for Trans Women Signals Growing Diversity in Sex Toy Market

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Sex Tech > Love Threesomes? What You Need to Know About Security Flaws Found in 3Fun Dating App

Dating & RelationshipsSex Tech
Home›Dating & Relationships›Love Threesomes? What You Need to Know About Security Flaws Found in 3Fun Dating App

Love Threesomes? What You Need to Know About Security Flaws Found in 3Fun Dating App

By Future of Sex
September 27, 2019
1139
0

Flushing out sexual stigma from legit privacy concerns.

Like other dating apps before it, 3Fun was hit with allegations of serious security flaws.

The 3Fun dating app is specifically intended for arranging threesomes. It offers some interesting and appealing features: users can upload private photos that only their matches can see, and a photo verification system aims to reduce catfishing.

The app is also LGBTQ-friendly: its description on the App Store states “Whether you’re a gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, queer or transgender, we’ve got you covered!” 

However, all that glitters is not gold.

Recently, the Internet security firm Pen Test Partners tested the app and published an article about its security flaws, claiming that very personal data of its users, such as location and birthday, were exposed.

Dating apps and their security problems

Pen Test Partners had already found security flaws in other popular dating apps: Grindr, Romeo, and Recon. The company’s white-hat hackers were able to reveal the location of thousands of users, using a procedure called “trilateration.”

Using spoofed locations, they could trick a feature that shows potential matches near the user. This way, they were able to retrieve the exact location of millions of singles looking for love.

As for 3Fun, the company claims that “this one really takes the biscuit: probably the worst security for any dating app we’ve ever seen.” Pen Testing Partners’ staff found out that the sexy threesome app just leaks the GPS coordinates of any user, without the need for trilateration.

The white-hat hackers discovered that the 3Fun servers send to the user’s app a GET request, that contains lots of sensitive data: latitude, longitude and birthday. They were able to retrieve easily even the private photos, which were only supposed to be seen by the user’s matches. 

Pen Test Partners could even locate some 3Fun users at the White House and the U.S. Supreme Court, but they reminded their readers that it could be just a tech prank. Probably, a tech-savvy user rewrote his or her location for fun.

Technically, the app offers a feature to hide the latitude and longitude of the user, to avoid giving away a precise location. However, Pen Test Partner discovered that choosing this option will only filter user data in the app, not on the server. This way, a hacker could still achieve the exact position of the user through the API. 

The company claims that the leakage of those personal data “can be used to stalk users in near real-time,” potentially exposing them to criminals or relationship and career issues. 

That’s why Pen Test Partners contacted immediately 3Fun, to urge its developers to fix the security issues. Luckily, the threesome app acted quickly to resolve the issues and, on September 1, its staff published a blog post explaining to the users what was going on with their privacy:

After the security vulnerabilities were reported inside of the dating app, 3Fun, immediate action was taken by developers to correct the issue. […] Users’ data is not hacked or disclosed.

The developers released a new API to replace the unsafe one, so the users can keep having fun without worries.

Security issues or sexual stigma?

In 2017, the team of Internet of Dongs, an online project focused on improving teledildonic security, accused Pen Test Partners of sensationalizing the security issues of a smart sex toy, the Svakom Siime Eye. 

According to Internet of Dongs, the renowned UK-based security firm “takes a barely contained juvenile tone of incredulity that people would want to use such a device,” and approaches the sex toy topic in a judgemental way.

RenderMan, Internet of Dongs’ founder, wrote in a blog post that, while the Siime Eye truly had some serious security issues, many of the claims made by Pen Test Partners were exaggerated.

He invited the company to join his project, to actually help sex toy vendors to improve their products’ privacy and security rather than perpetuating sex-related stigma. Since then, RenderMan has examined other flaws in Pen Test Partners’ research about Internet-connected sex toys.

The question lingers regarding the motivation to investigate and publicize such security flaws. Is the concern about the safety of teledildonics and sex apps legit? Or are the sensational media headlines and attention that come with it the true appeal?

Image sources: App Store

Future of Sex

Launched in 2011, Future of Sex has grown to become the world’s leading publication on how technology is changing human sexuality, today and tomorrow. It provides deep, insightful coverage of the edge of sex technologies and possibilities, including sex robots, remote sex, immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, as well as dating and relationships.
Previous Article

Women in Sex Tech: Are Things Getting ...

Next Article

VRBangers Offers a Way to Keep Erotic ...

Related articles More from author

  • Dating & Relationships

    5 Ways to Meet People Online for Adult Fun

    November 14, 2019
    By Sponsored Post
  • Remote SexSex TechVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    Sex Tech Hacker qDot Combines Video Games with Erotic Haptic Feedback

    February 4, 2020
    By M. Christian
  • Sex Tech

    These Are Your Responses to Coining a Replacement for ‘Sex Toys’

    November 5, 2017
    By Jenna Owsianik, Editor-in-Chief of FutureofSex.net
  • Sex Tech

    Victory For Women’s Sex Tech: CES Returns Prestigious Award

    May 31, 2019
    By M. Christian
  • AugmentationSex Tech

    The Future of Male Contraceptive: When Will It Catch Up with Birth Control Options for Women?

    November 6, 2019
    By Marcus K. Dowling
  • Remote SexSex Tech

    Domi Review: Lovense’s Mini Wand Is a Powerhouse We Love

    October 9, 2019
    By Jenna Owsianik, Editor-in-Chief of FutureofSex.net

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Sx Tech logo
    Sex Tech

    Play Vulva Bingo and Meet AI Robots at Sx Tech’s Virtual Event This Friday

  • Stamina Training Package
    Remote Sex

    The Vstroker Review: Grasping for Sensual Stimulation

  • A 3D-printed sex toy.
    Sex Tech

    3D Printers Put DIY Sex Toys In Consumers’ Hands

  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Most Realistic Sex Games You Can Play [UPDATED]

    0
  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Sex Games for Mac

    The Best Sex Games for Mac

    0
  • Best Sex Game Apps for Couples

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples for 2020 [Updated]

    0
  • The Best RPG Sex Games of 2020

    0
  • 23KFollowers

Like Us on Facebook

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas?
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2020 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT