Skype Flaw Exposes Caller Locations

Here is a disclosure of yet another flaw in Skype; it states that the communication software can easily expose any user’s location because an IP address is exposed. It may pose a potential security threat for video calling in Skype.

Flaw has been exposed by the researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. They performed a simple experiment with initiation of more than 10,000 calls to different users; after random of selection of some of the users they discovered if any recipient doesn’t accept the incoming call; still user’s IP address was vulnerable to attack.

Now this is something piece of cake for the hackers because after getting hold of the internet protocol address these cyber crooks can easily fetch specific information of the victims. They can get the Skype’s friend’s list, online downloading and victim’s location can also be uncovered by the hackers.

With the help of this experiment researchers managed to trace one Skype user and they were able to get desired information. Microsoft now owns Skype and no wonder this flaw might came after any issued update.

Here is a minor fix; it’s really not a fix but an advise that you are requested to keep service turned off until and unless you know that you would get a call.

via [Forbes]