Configuration Management / Facebook SDK Debug Mode Enabled

Description

Facebook SDK debug mode enabled is a configuration management vulnerability (CWE-732) that affects Android, iOS and Mobile App software. This vulnerability occurs when the debug mode of the Facebook SDK is enabled, which allows attackers to bypass security measures, modify data, and take control of the application. Reference to the OWASP Testing Guide: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Testing_for_Facebook_SDK_Debug_Mode.

Risk

The risk associated with this vulnerability is that attackers can gain access to confidential data, modify data, and take control of the application. This could lead to privacy issues, data loss, and system downtime.

Solution

To mitigate this vulnerability, the debug mode of the Facebook SDK should be disabled. In Android, the debug mode of the SDK can be disabled by setting the “fb_debug_mode” variable to false in your application’s AndroidManifest.xml file:

<meta-data android:name="fb_debug_mode" android:value="false"/>

In iOS, the debug mode of the SDK can be disabled by setting the “FB_DEBUG_MODE” variable to false in your application’s Info.plist file:

<key>FB_DEBUG_MODE</key>
<false/>

Example

For example, the CVE-2018-18367 vulnerability allows an attacker to gain access to sensitive information such as user profile information and other confidential data by exploiting the debug mode of the Facebook SDK.