Software engineer lists 'loopholes' in government's 'Tap and Go' Bus Monitoring System

Software engineer, Edward Adjei, has shared some security flaws he has identified in the government's Bus Monitoring System for the Tap and Go transport service that was launched by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Monday, February 19, 2024.

According to the software engineer, he was able to hack into the system and gain access to the user logins and details of 1079 user logins and details with different role levels.

These may include their names, passwords, emails, phone numbers, and other vital information.

This, he said, puts the privacy of commuters and users of the platform at risk.

The software engineer, also added that he was able to access the panels of three different websites related to the project, and some video recordings from the monitoring software's server.

He shared his findings on X on February 21, 2024, where he posted screenshots of the system's interface and database.

“Okay enough awareness now, we need to keep our data safe. I have been able to gain access to 1079 user logins and details with different role levels.

“I have also accessed panels (three different websites for this project) and some video recordings from the monitoring software’s server shown,” his post stated.

Edward Adjei explained that he did this to raise awareness about user privacy and to urge the government to fix the security loopholes as soon as possible.

“As mentioned I’d share but I’m available to help fix it (that’s the goal). Comments section for more,” he added in the post.

Aside from Edward Adjei, a security analyst and a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yayra Koku also raised similar concerns that the software for CCTV monitoring was purchased from China and is hosted on Chinese servers.

He argued that the Chinese software posed a serious threat to the privacy and security of passengers and the nation as a whole.

Yayra Koku further questioned the vice president and the national security agencies for launching such a system without addressing the security implications.

The Tap and Go transport service which was launched by the vice president, is a digital platform that allows passengers to pay for their fares using a reloaded card, which they can tap on a device installed on buses or rails when they join them.

The service also includes a system for monitoring the buses using CCTV cameras.

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Below are some of the photos shared on X by Edward Adjei

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