Investigators frantically combed a world map released by satellite navigation service Strava which show where users have been located – potentially revealing the locations of secret military bases.
Analyst Nathan Ruser said: “It looks very pretty, but not amazing for Op-Sec. US bases are clearly identifiable and mappable.”
The app is used to track data while the user exercises with keen-eyed observers spotting jogging routes which appear to map out secret military bases.
Those who have investigated the map believe they have identified a number of military sites, forward operating bases and patrols.
Many of the locations which have been identified are believed to be secret US bases and airstrips with some concerned about the security risks posed.
It is feared the map could be used by hostile forces in Syria to identify and map military bases and track troop movements and routines.
It is believed Russia and Turkish operations have also been uncovered.
Analyst Tobias Schneider said: “In Syria, known coalition (ie US) bases light up the night,”
“Some light markers over known Russian positions, no notable colouring for Iranian bases… A lot of people are going to have to sit through lectures come Monday morning.”
In heavily populated and industrial areas people using the various fitness apps and Fitbits light up huge areas of the heatmap but in war zones they mostly appear to show up at foreign military bases.
Bright spots of activity are easily spotted on the otherwise darkened maps in places like Syria.
Mr Ruser said: “If soldiers use the app like normal people do, by turning it on tracking when they go to do exercise, it could be especially dangerous.”
The data was compiled from more than 27 million subscribers and include over three trillion GPS points.
Journalists and analysts have inspected the map to try and discover as such as they can.
The New Yorker’s Ben Taub claims that some revealing information can be gained.
He said: “There’s a revealing pattern, at least in the Sahel.
“If you find a heavily-used jogging route that’s not near a city, expect to find a remote airstrip nearby.”
GPS data company Strava said: “Our global heatmap represents an aggregated and anonymised view of over a billion activities uploaded to our platform.
“It excludes activities that have been marked as private and user-defined privacy zones.
“We are committed to helping people better understand our settings to give them control over what they share.”