WATCH ABOVE: Skype fixes bug that causes the live video app to crash
TORONTO – Less than a week after it was discovered a text message containing a series of Chinese and Arabic letters could crash the Messages app on Apple’s iOS devices, a similar bug has been found in Skype’s messaging app.
Similar to the iOS bug, the Skype vulnerability allows users to crash their friend’s Skype app by sending them a message reading “http://:”. Once the message is received it causes the app to continuously crash.
According to user reports, the bug affects the app on iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows. Skype for Mac and Windows do not seem to be affected.
Unlike the iOS vulnerability, the text string that causes the bug is much more likely to be sent by accident – especially if users are typing in a full web address.
But, the Skype bug is much more difficult to fix because users can’t simply delete their chat history to get rid of the string of text – Skype automatically downloads users chat history once the app restarts.
The Microsoft-owned company confirmed it was aware of the bug and offered a fix for users through a post on its community forum Wednesday.
“We are aware of a problem that was causing Skype clients to crash. Our engineering teams worked hard to resolve this issue, and have released updates for all impacted Skype platforms,” read the post.
To avoid or fix the bug, users must download the latest version of the app.
Global News contacted Skype regarding the issue, however, a request for comment was not immediately returned.
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