# Google Groups permissions can expose sensitive data when group settings are misconfigured

DevFeed: [Google Groups permissions can expose sensitive data when group settings are misconfigured](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/gripes-with-google-groups-29164.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.latacora.com/blog/2018/05/29/gripes-with-google-groups/>)

Published: 2018-05-29T21:14:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Latacora](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/latacora.md>)

Topics: [Google Groups](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google-groups.md>), [Access Control](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/access-control.md>), [configuration](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/configuration.md>), [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>), [Google Cloud Platform (GCP)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google-cloud.md>), [saml](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/saml.md>)

Tags: [access-control](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/access-control.md>), [configuration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/configuration.md>), [gcp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/gcp.md>), [google](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/google.md>), [saml](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/saml.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that Google Groups can create security and privacy risks when used for mailing lists and access control without carefully audited permissions. It describes self-service membership, group visibility, and configuration mistakes that could expose password-reset messages, vendor information, analytics access, operational discussions, or fundraising data.

## Source excerpt

If you're like me, you think of Google Groups as the Usenet client turned mailing list manager. If you're a GCP (Google Cloud Platform) user or maybe one of a handful of SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) users you probably know Google Groups as an access control mechanism. The bad news is we're both right. This can blow up if permissions on those groups aren't set right. Your groups were probably originally created by a sleep-deprived founder way before anyone was worried about access control. It's been lovingly handcrafted and never audited ever since. Let's say their configuration is, uh, "inconsistent". If an administrator adds people to the right groups as part of their on-boarding, it's not obvious when group membership is secretly self-service. Even if someone can't join a group, they might still be able to read it.