Skype provides a hotfix for strange IM bug

Yesterday, reports detailing a bug affecting the popular video-calling service, Skype grabbed headlines. A strange bug had been found sending instant messages to the wrong people on a user’s contact list on Skype, causing users much discomfort. Now, according to the latest reports coming in, Skype has begun rolling out the first batch of patches of a hotfix. In an official post on Skype Garage, Skype confirms that they have begun “rolling out a hotfix over the next few days for multiple Skype clients to address a couple of known issues.” By the way of their official post, Skype adds that users should download the updated versions of the service once they are available. 

Rolling out a fix

Skype has listed out the affected Skype clients, which include Skype 5.10 for Windows, Skype 5.8 for Mac, Skype 4.0 for Linux, Skype 1.2 for Windows Phone. Further in the post, Skype has clarified that users of Skype 5.9 for Windows, Skype 2.8 for Android and Skype 4.0 for IOS were not affected by the bug - a finding that they unearthed during the course of their investigation. 

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Explaining the hotfix in detail, Skype adds, “The hotfix addresses an issue that occurs only when a user’s Skype client crashes during a Skype IM session, which may in some cases result in the last IM entered or sent prior to the crash being delivered to a different IM contact after the Skype client is rebooted or logged in as a new user. Although we cannot determine precisely how many users may have been affected by this error, we believe the number is small given the very specific circumstances under which the error occurs.”

Further on their blog, Skype have detailed that they have also issued a fix for File Sending on the desktop versions of Skype, wherein it was not possible earlier for users with hard disk drive in FAT32 format to save files. 

On discovering the bug, users went on to post the strange occurrence on Skype’s Support Network. A user, going by the name “SunnyLady78” stated, “I am really surprised and shocked how it has happened. When I did last one Skype upgrade in June 2012 It has become to work very strange. Sometimes when I open chat window with some contact, It lists all latest messages from that person although I have already read them. Few days ago one friend from my contact list has received few messages I had already received before from other my skype contact. It seemed these messages were sent by me. It is really confusing. I have no history option in privacy section and cleared all my cookies. How can I protect my privacy? If I make skype upgrade, can these problems arrise due to upgrade? (that somehow messages are mixed and sent to other contacts)?”