Amazon fixed a major security issue with its Ring cameras in secret

There are plenty of reasons not to get a Ring camera, and the Amazon-owned home security system company just gave us another.

In May, Ring sneakily fixed a "high-severity" security vulnerability in its Android app that could've exposed users' camera recordings, full name, email, phone number, geolocation, and address, according to researchers from the security company Checkmarx. And the company kept it quiet, TechCrunch reported. The Android app has been downloaded more than 10 million times.

Checkmarx researchers discovered the vulnerability while they were analyzing Ring's Android app and found that it had several bugs. All those bugs combined could have let attackers exploit the app and the users.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

SEE ALSO: 14 reasons not to get a Ring camera

Amazon told Checkmarx that it issued a fix for the problem on May 27. 

"Based on our review, no customer information was exposed," Amazon said. "This issue would be extremely difficult for anyone to exploit, because it requires an unlikely and complex set of circumstances to execute."

---

Related Stories

---

• Ring admits its employees tried to access customers' private video
• Amazon buys smart doorbell maker Ring to fuel its smart home ambitions
• Amazon's Ring will now allow users to opt out of all police video requests
• Ring hit with class action lawsuit for 'failure to take basic security precautions'
• Hackers are getting really good at hacking Ring cameras and the results are terrifying

This isn't the first time Ring video doorbell cameras have come under fire for their less than ideal security. The device's footage is stored in the cloud, an infamously easy-to-hack spacewhich Amazon employees can access. And according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, bad actors have accessed Ring cameras time and time again and "used them to traumatize children and harass families." 

So it's great that Checkmarx found these vulnerabilities and that Amazon fixed them. But wouldn't it be easier if we just… stopped buying them?