Video-meeting outfit Zoom has rolled out automatic updates with the latest features and security fixes to all users, expanding an offering that was previously only available to enterprise users.
Automatic software updates are now available for the desktop Zoom client on Windows and macOS, but it’s not available for Linux yet. Mobile devices can be automatically updated through app stores.
Zoom says automatic updates will be on by default for most consumer users. However, users can configure the frequency of updates in Settings, under General where there’s now a checkbox for ‘Automatically keep my Zoom up to date’.
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The ‘Slow’ option is the default and means less frequent updates with a focus on stability. The ‘Fast’ option delivers the latest features and updates as soon as they’re available.
“When critical security updates are involved, updates will go to everyone,” says Jeromie Clark, a Zoom technical product manager for security and privacy, in a blogpost.
For the enterprise, where Zoom might be installed on Windows via MSI packages or macOS PKG files, the automatic update setting for end users is disabled. The option is available by default for clients in enterprises that deploy EXE of DMG packages. However, admins can disable the option.
Zoom offers monthly feature updates and releases security updates as needed.
“This update improves the existing experience and expands the intended audience to include all individual desktop client users who are not members of an enterprise organization,” says Clark.
“Automatic updates help our users easily receive important security fixes and helpful features, improving their overall experience with the Zoom platform.”
One example of security updates: Zoom recently patched a flaw that affects Zoom for Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and Linux, as well as Zoom’s conferencing software and its Meeting SDK. The bug was reported by Google Project Zero’s Natalie Silvanovich.
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The memory-related buffer overflow flaw, CVE-2021-34423, has a CVSS score of 7.3 out of 10 and allows a “malicious actor to crash the service or application, or leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code,” according to Zoom’s advisory. It does not state whether the flaw is remotely exploitable. Silvanovich also reported a medium severity flaw that affects the Zoom client and app on all platforms. The bug exposes the state of process memory, potentially allowing an attacker to view memory.
Zoom last week reported net income for the third quarter of $338.4 million and revenue of $1.051 billion. It had 2,507 customers contributing more than $100,000 each, and 512,100 customers with more than 10 employees. Zoom is expecting full fiscal year revenue of between $4.079 billion and $4.081 billion.
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