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"Skype for Windows takes advantage of Internet Explorer and Flash to display advertisements in the client. This means that in order for advertisements to work c
by adrtessier 11y ago
"Skype for Windows takes advantage of Internet Explorer and Flash to display advertisements in the client. This means that in order for advertisements to work correctly, Internet Explorer and Flash need to be working correctly."
As if Skype spying on you wasn't enough, requiring mshtml.dll and Flash this now makes Skype a malware vector from compromised ad networks.
This seems especially bad for IT environments where Internet Explorer is not the primary browser due to "security" and has Flash built-in (like Chrome used to) or disabled, so any outdated version of Flash attached to IE becomes an unpatched vulnerability possibly outside of IT package management scope.
There are other good videoconferencing/call solutions today. I see no reason to install Skype anymore. I personally have not used it in years. (FWIW, I also haven't used Windows as my primary operating system since the days of XP.)
- UnoriginalGuy 11y agoMost medium sized professional environments aren't utilising Skype, they're utilising an entirely different product called, uhh, Skype (Lync), but it doesn't show ads and is a completely different product with Skype branding (even the executable is still Lync.exe).
- adrtessier 11y agoThanks for the correction; I didn't know this existed and that's somewhat comforting. I guess my point still stands for personal users of Skype, small businesses and startups.
- UnoriginalGuy 11y agoOh definitely. You're right on base, it is a massive concern.
- vardump 11y agoLync... what a piece of... although latest version (Skype for Business) is a bit better than before. But that's not saying much. Microsoft doesn't seem to have any clue how to make a working chat app.