Google users in Iran targeted in certificate scam

A false Internet security certificate has been used in an apparent attempt to snoop on Google users in Iran, according to the Internet search giant and computer security firms.

According to the AFP, a Dutch company, DigiNotar, which issues the Internet security credentials known as SSL certificates, said on Tuesday that it had revoked the "fraudulent certificate" in question.

SSL certificates are used to verify to visitors that a particular website is authentic and are issued by DigiNotar and other firms known as Certification Authorities.

Internet users whose browsers are fooled by a false certificate could unwittingly reveal their activity to another party in what is known as a "man-in-the-middle attack."

DigiNotar said it had suffered an "intrusion" into its Certificate Authority infrastructure on July 19 which resulted in the "fraudulent issuance of public key certificate requests for a number of domains, including Google.com."

"At that time, an external security audit concluded that all fraudulently issued certificates were revoked," DigiNotar said. "Recently, it was discovered that at least one fraudulent certificate had not been revoked at the time.

"After being notified by Dutch government organization Govcert, DigiNotar took immediate action and revoked the fraudulent certificate," it said.

Google said in a blog post late on Monday that it had "received reports of attempted SSL man-in-the-middle attacks against Google users, whereby someone tried to get between them and encrypted Google services.