Skype exploit is still a threat to your machine

By Darshik Jariwala - March, 22nd 2013

You know the easiest way how someone can find the IP address of your computer? All they require is to add you in their Skype list and that’s it. Thanks to a security exploit in Skype, it will be a matter of minutes before they can find your IP address.

It is safe to assume that Skype is the most widely used VoIP (Voice over IP) service. It allows you to make free Skype-to-Skype calls globally and also Skype to mobile or land-line anywhere in the world for a reasonable cost. No wonder millions of people around the world use it at regular basis.

Ever since the security exploit had first surfaced last year, Skype had reassured saying that they are working on the issue and issued a statement, “We are investigating reports of a new tool that allegedly captures a Skype user’s last known IP address. This is an ongoing, industry-wide issue faced by all peer-to-peer software companies. We are committed to the safety and security of our customers and we are takings measures to help protect them.” But it is close to one year since the issue being reported. And the users who are already aware about this issue still wary about using Skype.

You can do some quick searches over Google and you will find a lot of blogs reporting about the issue and some tools as well which helps you find a Skype user’s IP address through their username. If you have a habit or a requirement of always staying online on Skype, this vulnerability exposes your machine to various hackers worldwide, the consequences of which can be unimaginable. The scope of harm that it may cause is no more limited to an individual level. There are employees in corporate world who use it too, which makes not only the user, but the company itself a target.

The vulnerability was present even before Skype was purchased by Microsoft, but one would expect a company like Microsoft to address an issue as grave as this. Skype was recently redesigned for Windows 8. Microsoft has also deeply integrated Skype in their Windows Phone operating systems.

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