Snapchat iOS Source Code Leaked On GitHub After May Update

Snap accidentally revealed some of its Snapchat for iOS source code, the company has confirmed. The exposure resulted from an app update issued this past May; though Snap moved quickly to fix it, someone had already grabbed a copy and shared it on GitHub. Snap says it discovered its code on the website, forcing it to issue a copyright act removal request.

Snap confirmed the news to Motherboard, saying that some of the Snapchat code for iOS was left exposed by an update released earlier this year. It's unclear how long the code was left exposed before Snap realized and fixed the issue. Whatever the duration, someone else also noticed as well and archived the code on GitHub.

In a statement to Motherboard, Snap said that its code has been removed from GitHub at this point. The exposure didn't in any way compromise the Snapchat community or app, Snap said. However, Snap did have to hit GitHub with a copyright act request to get the source code taken down.

Attempting to directly access the GitHub repo where the code was archived results in a DMCA takedown notice. However, as noted by Motherboard, copies of the data still exist privately among those who copied it, and at least based on tweets, some of those individuals are sharing it with others. As with anything that makes its way to the Internet, it is impossible to eliminate entirely.

SOURCE: Motherboard