Snapchat 'vulnerabilities' could leave you exposed, says hackers' group

Australian hackers' group reports that users of Snapchat app may be exposed to hackers

That risqué Snapchat photo that you thought would self-destruct after 10 seconds could still come back to haunt you.

A group of anonymous Australian hackers has reported that users of the popular photo-messaging app may be exposed - and their images intercepted.

Gibson Security (GibsonSec) has published details of two exploits, which reveal a number of "vulnerabilities" within the app.

These mean that it is not only possible to build a database of Snapchat users, but also to access the images being sent, leaving users susceptible to scammers and stalkers.

GibsonSec first flagged up the issue in a statement released in August, but Snapchat failed to address the problem.

"Someone could save media sent to them and, as we recently found, build a database of Snapchat usernames and phone numbers, connecting names to aliases easily, and with further work connecting social media accounts to entries," GibsonSec said in the statement.

"Someone could view all your unread messages, and depending on the situation, modify and even replace the images completely," the statement added.

Snapchat allows users to create a personal profile and send photos and videos to a controlled list of recipients. These can be viewed for up to 10 seconds, after which they are deleted, but earlier reports have suggested that material is hidden rather than destroyed.