Skype for Mac Has Security Flaw

Allows an individual to gain remote access to another's machine.

Padmini Harchandrai|May 09, 2011, 10:36:22 IST

Skype for Mac has been discovered to have a security flaw where a skilled individual can gain remote access to another's machine just by sending a Skype message. Skype said that it issued an update fixing this flaw in April, however, the company didn't prompt users to download the fix. Security researcher Gordon Maddern from the firm Pure Hacking discovered the flaw. Skype has created a fix for this flaw and to access it, click here.

Want to get into grandma's computer? Skype her!

Maddern said that he discovered the flaw by accident and said he was able to take control of another user's computer and execute a shell instance. He contacted Skype about the flaw constantly, but despite assurances from them that the flaw would get fixed, they took their time. Only after he blogged about it did Skype sit up and listen. Windows and Linux users aren't facing the same problem with this zero-day vulnerability.

By Padmini Harchandrai

Paddy does not, we repeat, definitely does NOT belong in the category of Mac-head (yeh right!). She does get excited by her iPhone and her iMac and her iPod Nano and her Macbook and Bali's iPad and her future iHouse (patent pending). Ok, so maybe her head is a little bit forbidden fruit shaped. She likes shooting video (iPhone 4 camera zindabad!) and editing montages (Final Cut Pro zindabad!), whether the scene calls for it or no. In her spare time, she's either kicking it on stage with KB the keyboard or kicking butt at Taekwondo.