With MAKERphone we’re trying to show people that every machine you see was designed by a human being not different nor smarter than themselves.

We have been working around the clock to investigate the security issue we discovered and fixed two weeks ago so we can help people understand what information the attackers may have accessed. Today, we’re sharing details about the attack we’ve found that exploited this vulnerability. We have not ruled out the possibility of smaller-scale attacks, which we’re continuing to investigate.

As we’ve said, the attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code that existed between July 2017 and September 2018. The vulnerability was the result of a complex interaction of three distinct software bugs and it impacted “View As,” a feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else. It allowed attackers to steal Facebook access tokens, which they could then use to take over people’s accounts. Access tokens are the equivalent of digital keys that keep people logged in to Facebook so they don’t need to re-enter their password every time they use the app.

Here’s how we found the attack that exploited this vulnerability. We saw an unusual spike of activity that began on September 14, 2018, and we started an investigation. On September 25, we determined this was actually an attack and identified the vulnerability. Within two days, we closed the vulnerability, stopped the attack, and secured people’s accounts by resetting the access tokens for people who were potentially exposed. As a precaution, we also turned off “View As.” We’re cooperating with the FBI, which is actively investigating and asked us not to discuss who may be behind this attack.

We now know that fewer people were impacted than we originally thought. Of the 50 million people whose access tokens we believed were affected, about 30 million actuallyhad their tokens stolen. Here’s how it happened:

First, the attackers already controlled a set of accounts, which were connected to Facebook friends. They used an automated technique to move from account to account so they could steal the access tokens of those friends, and for friends of those friends, and so on, totaling about 400,000 people. In the process, however, this technique automatically loaded those accounts’ Facebook profiles, mirroring what these 400,000 people would have seen when looking at their own profiles. That includes posts on their timelines, their lists of friends, Groups they are members of, and the names of recent Messenger conversations. Message content was not available to the attackers, with one exception. If a person in this group was a Page admin whose Page had received a message from someone on Facebook, the content of that message was available to the attackers.

The attackers used a portion of these 400,000 people’s lists of friends to steal access tokens for about 30 million people. For 15 million people, attackers accessed two sets of information – name and contact details (phone number, email, or both, depending on what people had on their profiles). For 14 million people, the attackers accessed the same two sets of information, as well as other details people had on their profiles. This included username, gender, locale/language, relationship status, religion, hometown, self-reported current city, birthdate, device types used to access Facebook, education, work, the last 10 places they checked into or were tagged in, website, people or Pages they follow, and the 15 most recent searches. For 1 million people, the attackers did not access any information.

People can check whether they were affected by visiting our Help Center. In the coming days, we’ll send customized messages to the 30 million people affected to explain what information the attackers might have accessed, as well as steps they can take to help protect themselves, including from suspicious emails, text messages, or calls.

"The Chicago Auto Show not only boasts more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space treating guests to the industry's latest and greatest glistening automobiles, but it also offers attendees indoor test tracks, where they can ride along with products specialists, and outdoor street driving opportunities that demonstrate vehicle capabilities and handling as well as the latest technology and safety features," said Chicago Auto Show Chairman Ray Scarpelli Jr.

"The Chicago Auto Show has offered test track and ride-and-drive experiences to our attendees for quite some time now, as we know a key component to our show's success is to allow consumers to experience these vehicles," said Chicago Auto Show General Manager David Sloan. "We're also incredibly fortunate to have a great venue like McCormick Place, with its expansive design and convenient, single-level layout."

"We constantly strive to provide ROI to our exhibitors, which is reflected in the spring auto sales figures that are posted following our show. It's no coincidence that manufacturers see an increase in vehicle sales following our show, as nearly 70 percent of adult attendees who visit are 12-month vehicle intenders – according to Foresight Research. The Chicago Auto Show is the destination in February where people come to shop for their next vehicle, have a great time with friends and family, and shake off those blues in the dead of winter."

"A successful show begins with an unmatched consumer experience, and that's exactly what Chicagoans have come to expect at the Chicago Auto Show," said Scarpelli Jr.

Google debuts Pixel Slate, a Chrome OS tablet with a 3000×2000 display, 8-16GB of RAM, front and rear cameras, no 3.5mm jack; coming later in 2018 from $599

Our devices should be as versatile as we are—keeping up with quick transitions between work and play. That means devices should boot up fast, last all day and get better the more you use them. And it’s why a versatile operating system, matched with high-performance hardware, is so important.

Last year, Chrome OS took a big step forward to become even more versatile for all your computing needs, adding the Google Assistant and apps from the Google Play Store. We tied it all together with Pixelbook, our high-performance Chromebook. And today we’re sharing a new addition to the hardware family: Google Pixel Slate.

Google Pixel Slate is designed to entertain and help you do more in a fresh, mobile form. We combined a touch-first user interface, optimized Android apps and powerful desktop-style features in Chrome OS to deliver a no-compromise device.