14 DAY TRIAL // Skype users are again threatened by a vulnerability discovered in the VoIP software solution; SecurityFocus reported that only the 3.6.0.216 version is affected. However, some other releases might be affected by the same flaw, but there's no successful exploitation reported, yet. The developer of the application didn't roll out any patch to correct the vulnerability, so we're expecting it in the next few days. According to the same source mentioned above, there's a problem in the Skype Voicemail URI Handler that will permit attackers to block the program.
"Skype is prone to a remote denial-of-service vulnerability because of a NULL-pointer dereference flaw. Successfully exploiting this issue allows remote attackers to crash the application, denying service to legitimate users. Skype 3.6.0.216 for Microsoft Windows is vulnerable to this issue; other versions may also be affected," SecurityFocus reported.
Skype has always been one of the most popular technologies on the market, as it offers very high quality bundled with many other features. For example, its security features are appreciated even by the German authorities, as they admitted they cannot monitor the suspects' conversations because of the powerful encryption functions included in the program.
However, this popularity doesn't necessarily mean that you're 100 percent safe when using it, because numerous attackers turned to Skype in order to find new victims. Since millions of users are connecting to Skype every day, some hackers have launched attacks on its network, aiming to bring the consumers on malicious pages and to infect their computers.
Sure, these attacks could affect any other VoIP or instant messaging application on the market, but because Skype is so popular, lots of hackers launch attacks over its users. Even so, the developers managed to keep the users secure every time and Skype is still a very popular technology bundling numerous well-developed features.