Key Takeaways
- Zoom has announced that a flaw has been found that could pose a security risk to users
- The company has told users to immediately apply the latest patch
- There is no suggestion that the exploit has been used for malicious purposes
Zoom users have been issued with a warning after a critical vulnerability was discovered on the platform.
The issue, if not corrected, could see unauthenticated users take over affected Zoom accounts, compromising data and leaving legitimate users exposed.
In order to mitigate these risks, Zoom is urging users to ensure that they have applied the very latest update.
Zoom Security Vulnerability Discovered
According to a security bulletin issued by Zoom, the platform has been exposed to a potential flaw which could see users have their accounts compromised.
The warning, published on July 15th, informs users that they should update to the latest version of the platform to reduce risks stemming from the vulnerability. There is no evidence that this exploit has actually been targeted in a real world environment.
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The flaw, CVE-2026-53412, has been given a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) rating of 9.8, meaning it is very severe.
Which Version of Zoom is Affected by Security Flaw?
The issue specifically affects users who are running the following versions of Zoom:
- Zoom Workplace for Windows before version 7.0.0
- Zoom Workplace VDI Client for Windows before version 7.0.10 and 6.6.15 and 6.5.18 in their respective branches
If you need to check what version of Zoom Workplace you’re currently running, click on your profile picture in the top right, then Help, then About Zoom Workplace.
To ensure your software is up to date, you’ll need to click on your profile picture, and then click Check for Updates.
Is It Safe to Keep Using Zoom?
While alarming, these sorts of critical security warnings are actually good news, as it means that the platform owners are proactive and actively tracking and discovering bug and flaws that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. Often these vulnerabilities are discovered before bad faith actors have a chance to exploit them. Good news for everyone (except the hackers).
While there have been reports of Zoom ‘hacks’ before, these are usually not direct hacks themselves, but rather criminals using social engineering methods to exploit victims, such as starting a Zoom call and then accessing their computer using remote software, unrelated to Zoom. Then there’s ‘Zoom bombing‘, which sees random people join meetings, but this is usually down to a lack of understanding of privacy settings on the users’ side.
Despite Zoom being a relatively secure platform, it’s always worth shopping around to ensure your web conferencing system is working for you. While Zoom crested the 2020 pandemic wave as the video platform of choice, others such as Microsoft Teams and Google Meet have proved more than capable rivals thanks to robust features and competitive pricing.
