What you need to know
- A malware expert has revealed that video-conferencing app Zoom has "very shady" installation protocols.
- Zoom uses preinstallation scripts to bypass macOS security.
- The finder notes that it's the same trick being used by macOS malware.
In another damning indictment on Zoom's privacy and security practices, a malware expert has revealed that Zoom's macOS installation protocol is "very shady".
In a tweet posted March 30, Twitter user @c1truz_ stated:
Ever wondered how the @zoom_us macOS installer does it's job without you ever clicking install? Turns out they (ab)use preinstallation scripts, manually unpack the app using a bundled 7zip and install it to /Applications if the current user is in the admin group (no root needed).This is not strictly malicious but very shady and definitely leaves a bitter aftertaste. The application is installed without the user giving his final consent and a highly misleading prompt is used to gain root privileges. The same tricks that are being used by macOS malware.
Ever wondered how the @zoom_us macOS installer does it’s job without you ever clicking install? Turns out they (ab)use preinstallation scripts, manually unpack the app using a bundled 7zip and install it to /Applications if the current user is in the admin group (no root needed). pic.twitter.com/qgQ1XdU11MEver wondered how the @zoom_us macOS installer does it’s job without you ever clicking install? Turns out they (ab)use preinstallation scripts, manually unpack the app using a bundled 7zip and install it to /Applications if the current user is in the admin group (no root needed). pic.twitter.com/qgQ1XdU11M— Felix (@c1truz_) March 30, 2020March 30, 2020
The revelation is another mark of Zoom's apparently lax privacy and security practices. The app has risen to prominence following global lockdown and social-distancing measures that have forced many organizations to resort to remote working. Last week it emerged that Zoom was sending data to Facebook even if users didn't have a Facebook account, a problem that has now been fixed.
More recently, it emerged that Zoom calls are not end-to-end encrypted despite claims to the contrary. From that report:
In several instances within Zoom's security white paper, it mentions E2E encryption, and when you enable E2E, you can hover over the green padlock in the top left corner of a meeting and see the popup "Zoom is using an end to end encrypted connection." However, The Intercept claims that when it reached out to Zoom for comment a spokesperson stated:"Currently, it is not possible to enable E2E encryption for Zoom video meetings. Zoom video meetings use a combination of TCP and UDP. TCP connections are made using TLS and UDP connections are encrypted with AES using a key negotiated over a TLS connection."
