Microsoft later revealed that the problem was with the installer, not the app itself, and that versions 8 and above are unaffected. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean much for fans of classic Skype. Despite this, users were unable to see the download on Windows 10, and couldn’t install it if they obtained it via other methods. A month passed and it was unclear if the company would ever make a secure version available for Windows 10. We’re pleased to announce that after vocal feedback, the company has fixed the flaw and enabled it once more. “We are happy to announce that Skype customers can now resume download and install of the official Skype for Windows desktop v7.41,” said Skype community manager Babs. “It is available on the Skype downloads page.” “Please note that this installer is supported on Windows 7 and higher only. There is currently no support for Windows XP and Vista.”
The UWP Focus
The original installer housed a severe bug that could be exploited via DLL hijacking. A clever attacker could use this to gain full control of a user’s PC, but couldn’t touch users if the app had already been updated. In essence, the scare was somewhat overstated, but a major concern nonetheless. However, fears that the desktop app would go away aren’t unfounded. On Windows 10, Microsoft blocks the install of regular desktop Skype. Instead, users are forced to use a workaround or install classic Skype. Removing the classic app would make UWP the only option for those users. It’s clear that UWP is the Microsoft’s primary focus, and that may be why the exploitable installer was available for so long. Hopefully, this will be a wakeup call, but either way we’re happy to have Skype classic back. You can download it here.
