This vulnerability was reported to Zoom last December:
The exploit works by targeting the installer for the Zoom application, which needs to run with special user permissions in order to install or remove the main Zoom application from a computer. Though the installer requires a user to enter their password on first adding the application to the system, Wardle found that an auto-update function then continually ran in the background with superuser privileges.
When Zoom issued an update, the updater function would install the new package after checking that it had been cryptographically signed by Zoom. But a bug in how the checking method was implemented meant that giving the updater any file with the same name as Zoom’s signing certificate would be enough to pass the test—so an attacker could substitute any kind of malware program and have it be run by the updater with elevated privilege.
It seems that it’s not entirely fixed:
Following responsible disclosure protocols, Wardle informed Zoom about the vulnerability in December of last year. To his frustration, he says an initial fix from Zoom contained another bug that meant the vulnerability was still exploitable in a slightly more roundabout way, so he disclosed this second bug to Zoom and waited eight months before publishing the research.
More Stories
Supply Chain Attack Targets Key Ethereum Development Tools
A new supply chain attack targets Ethereum tools, exploiting npm packages to steal sensitive data Read More
New PhishWP Plugin Enables Sophisticated Payment Page Scams
The PhishWP plugin enables scammers to create fake payment pages, stealing sensitive data via Telegram Read More
Chinese Hackers Double Cyber-Attacks on Taiwan
Taiwan’s security service said government networks faced 2.4 million attacks in 2024, most of which are attributed to Chinese state...
Privacy of Photos.app’s Enhanced Visual Search
Initial speculation about a new Apple feature. Read More
New Infostealer Campaign Uses Discord Videogame Lure
Threat actors are tricking victims into downloading malware with the promise of testing a new videogame Read More
Scammers Drain $500m from Crypto Wallets in a Year
Scam Sniffer claims that threat actors used wallet drainers to steal $494m from victims in 2024 Read More