How to Hack TikTok Accounts : 5 Common Vulnerabilities
TikTok has become one of the most popular and used social media platforms. It is an application that allows users to share and watch videos, between fifteen seconds to three minutes, from people you follow (like celebrities, your friends and family members). Unfortunately, since it is a popular application, it has become an easy target for hackers. This article will talk about five common TikTok vulnerabilities and how to protect yourself against them.
TikTok Hacks and Vulnerabilities:
1.Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
2.Phishing Emails
3.Remote Keyloggers
4.Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
5.Weak Passwords
1.Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a vulnerability that allows unauthorized JavaScript code to be executed on a website. There are two types of XSS: reflected and stored. Reflected XSS is considered less harmful, as it is a one-time attack where the payload sent in a reflected XSS attack is only valid on that one request. To take advantage of XSS, “the attacker must convince the victim to interact with an HTML form” (sciencedirect). For example, when you click on an infected link on TikTok, you will be vulnerable to an XSS attack.
Security researcher Muhammed Taskiran found a vulnerability related to a URL parameter on the tiktok.com domain that was not properly sanitized in 2020. While fuzzing the platform, he discovered that the issue could be exploited to achieve reflected cross-site scripting, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code in a user’s browser session.
If attackers have successfully embedded malicious code into a browser session, then they can hijack the session and gain access to the user's device. They can redirect the user to malicious websites, record their activity online, or even download malicious files onto the system and hack their device.
How to Protect Against Them(XSS)
To protect against malicious code injection attacks, you should sanitize the user input on the tiktok.com website to make sure that only appropriate variables are inserted into your database.
2. Phishing Emails.
Hackers use phishing emails to hack TikTok accounts. For example, the hacker might send an email that pretends to be from TikTok, telling you that your account needs help and requires you to give your login credentials. This is just one way a cybercriminal can trick you into giving up your personal information.
In 2019, hackers were able to use a vulnerability in TikTok’s messaging system to send users messages that appeared to come from TikTok. When users clicked on the link, they gave hackers access to their accounts. Hackers were then able to post videos and see users’ private videos; they could also do whatever else they wanted with the account.
How to protect yourself from phishing attacks
The best way to protect your information against phishing attacks is to educate yourself on the characteristics of phishing emails, so you can spot them. Steps to take:
- Do NOT click on any links or open any attachments from emails that you did not expect.
- Don't ever provide personal information in response to a pop-up screen.
- Beware of spelling mistakes in your email's content!
3. Remote Keyloggers
Remote keyloggers can affect your phone, laptop, or other devices. A cybercriminal must access your device and install a piece of software that records everything you type on your keyboard. This means that if you log into any personal accounts (email, bank account, TikTok and more), every key will be recorded. The hacker can have this information and use it to hack into your accounts.
How to Protect Against Remote Keyloggers
- Please refrain from using third party keyboard applications.
- Never open any attachments or click on links in email messages. The keylogger could be embedded in the attachment, and you wouldn't even know it!
- Install anti-spyware applications to help detect and eliminate malware designed to capture your keystrokes.
4. Zero-Day Vulnerability
Zero-day vulnerabilities are new security flaws that are not yet known to software vendors, but could be exploited by hackers. If a hacker finds a vulnerability with TikTok (i.e., with the source code or database), then the hacker may be able to leak all of the users’ data.
How to Protect against Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
No one can completely avoid zero-day vulnerabilities, but you can take steps to prevent hackers from accessing your TikTok account.
- Make sure you are using the latest version of TikTok
- Enable two-factor authentication for security purposes.
5. Unsecured Password(weak Passwords)
- If you use an easy-to-guess password, hackers can easily hack your TikTok
- account. Of course, they could also perform a brute force attack if your password is more difficult to guess.
How to Protect Against Weak Passwords
To protect your account, make sure you use a strong password that includes numbers, symbols, the space bar, and lower and uppercase letters. Also make sure not to use the same password for your TikTok account as you do with other email or social media accounts; this would reduce the risk of your account being compromised if one of those other accounts were hacked. You may also want to check this website—HaveIBeenPwned—to see if your username or password has been leaked onto the internet.
Final Thoughts on TikTok Hacks
These were just a few of the many vulnerabilities that may allow attackers to hack TikTok accounts and how to protect against each one of them. I am sure that there are other techniques that exist, but these ones are important for you to know about.
Hackers often find new ways to gain access to your information. Therefore, it's important to do everything you can to protect your account, even when prevention isn't possible at first.
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