Skype has announced that it is investigating a new tool which can be used to collect users’ IP addresses. The hack, which can provide the IP address of a targeted Skype user without even having to add them as a contact, has been circulating online since last Thursday.
Computer World reports that the trick — which can expose a person’s last known IP address just through analysing their general information — was posted on Pastebin last week. Since then, Skype has been trying to get to the bottom of it. In an email statement, Skype explains:
“…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 taking measures to help protect them.”
Skype uses a peer-to-peer system to route its data traffic, but its encryption system is proprietary. To date, the techniques it uses to encrypt data have not come under scrutiny. [Computer World]