Fake eBooks: How Hackers Can Use Kindles To Take Over Your Amazon Account

Kindles are popular e-readers in the market, so much that people started associating the product as the category (like Maggi and other products). However, having this much clout makes them easy targets for hackers who seem to have devised new ways to hijack your Amazon account and Kindle becomes the pathway to achieve that. 

The threat was demonstrated by a security expert at a recent convention in London and the method used to hack the device and the full account will have people worried for the device’s security. 

Amazon Kindle Hack Issue: Your Account In Danger 

For a long time we have been told that Kindles are hard to hack but security has evolved and so have the threats. The recent event showcased how bad actors can infect a Kindle with a malicious

e-Book, just like how an Android phone can be attacked with dangerous fake apps.

The analyst from a company called Thales, quoted in this report, did exactly that which enabled him to exploit a security issue with Kindle e-readers. Not only were they able to use the signed in credit card to buy more e-books but also access the Amazon account on which the Kindle was working. 

The Sideloading Risks 

The malicious app was routed onto the Kindle using the sideloading method for apps which has been a concern but most have advocated for its support. The expert injected the malicious e-Book by sideloading it to the device which then was able to extract the right codes to take control of the Kindle and the Amazon account.

It was able to execute tasks like using the credit card to buy books and with the Amazon access the hacker can do a lot more damage, even shopping incessantly. 

How To Stay Safe 

The fact that eBooks can be the weapon to attack your Kindle means you need to be thorough about the book title, its source and other aspects before downloading them to your Kindle. This practice is similar to experts asking you to be vary of installing apps from unknown sources on the smartphone and the same goes for Kindle risks as well. 

The good thing is that the security issues related to the Kindle have been patched but we expect similar risks to show up at regular intervals and this demo gives people more reasons to be mindful of such attacks.