Anyone Can Watch Your Private Zoom Video Chats As Database Leaked; Zoom Calls Being Routed Via Chinese Servers?

Zoom, a video-conferencing application that many companies and employees are relying upon in the time of the lockdown, has attracted quite some negative attention. Despite the app being the most downloaded app, the app is facing security issues and is also being blamed as a spy app for China.

A government agency, Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In), had also warned the public against using the app. The agency had issued an advisory said that unguarded usage of this app can result in cyber attacks, and the possibility of sensitive information leaked to cybercriminals as well.

Apparently, all this might be true! Find out all the details regarding the app right here.

Countless Video Chats Available For Anyone To Access Online

A security researcher, Patrick Jackson, has found out 15000 instances of videos being recorded on the app and stored on a storage space that wasnt protected by any password. This means that all the recorded videos can be found on that storage by anyone.

Some of the Zoom users pay for a separate cloud service, and those who dont opt for such facility, any one will be able to access the meetings.

Addiotnally, this is also because Zoom does not force users to create a unique file name before saving it. This makes all the files searchable as they all have the same file name.

Is Zoom Teleconferencing A Spy Tool for China?

There is speculation that China is using the app as a spying medium as well. The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto found out, after examination, that the encryption that protects the meetings that are recorded on the app has been specially developed by Zoom, and it has significant weaknesses as well.

While Zoom’s headquarters lay in the United States, and despite the comapny being listed on NASDAQ, the main app has been developed by three companies based out of China, under the name Ruanshi Software.

As per reports, there is also a security issue with the app’s Waiting Room feature.

Zoom has clarified on the issue, saying, “Assessing that the issue presented a risk to users, we have initiated a responsible vulnerability disclosure process with Zoom. We are not currently providing public information about the issue to prevent it from being abused.”

As per reports, the mainline Zoom app (zoom.us) has been blocked in China. However, there are many third-party companies in China that sell the app within the country (e.g., zoom.cn, zoomvip.cn, zoomcloud.cn).

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