SAN JOSE: Your Zoom account could be remotely taken over by hackers without you noticing or even clicking on anything. What sounds like a worst-case scenario for video chat software security is currently a real threat in Zoom for Windows.
In various client programmes, three security vulnerabilities have been found, one of which poses a high risk.
According to a security bulletin published by Zoom, the most dangerous of the three flaws carries a "critical" severity rating of 9.8 out of 10.
The company says that a flaw in how the software checks incoming data could allow remote, unauthenticated attackers to hijack user accounts over the network without requiring any action from the victim.
Zoom has already fixed the vulnerabilities, but the patched software must also be installed on users' computers.
Zoom users should therefore visit the official download centre for the video conferencing software as soon as possible and download and install an updated, secure version there.
Security vulnerabilities have repeatedly dogged Zoom since its surge in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Following early controversies surrounding unauthorised access ("Zoom-bombing") and encryption gaps, the US software provider established internal offensive security teams and regular security bulletins. Their aim is to identify and close security holes before malicious actors can exploit them. – dpa
