Skype, Slack, other apps inherit Electron vuln

If you've built a Windows application on Electron, check to see if it's subject to a just-announced remote code execution vulnerability. Electron is a node.js and Chromium framework that lets developers use Web technologies (JavaScript, HTML and CSS) to build desktop apps. It's widely-used: Skype, Slack, Signal, a Basecamp …

[Lysenko]

If you've built a Windows application on Electron...

For anyone who hasn't had the dubious pleasure ... remember about 20 years ago when they rolled out Java apps and lied that they could match a native application C++ application in terms of UI quality and speed? Well, it's like that. Only worse. Much, much worse.

The Electron version of Skype (for example) is such a giant leap backwards that I strongly suspect it was built by someone attempting to graphically illustrate why lowest common denominator cross-platform works no better today than it did when they rolled out UCSD Pascal in 1978.

[Anonymous Coward]

it did when they rolled out UCSD Pascal in 1978.

Just a good slice of the old Skype for Windows was written in Delphi - which means Pascal <G>

Not cross-platform then, though, even if now it attempts to be. It was still code compiled to native CPU code, anyway.

[teknopaul]

Re: If you've built a Windows application on Electron...

Skype used to be written in QT.

I'm not sure what that does to your cross-platform/C++ argument. :)

I agree that Skype got shit when MS bought n broke it.

[Lysenko]

Re: If you've built a Windows application on Electron...

Skype used to be written in QT.

I'm not sure what that does to your cross-platform/C++ argument. :)

Insofar as it is true (it was only the Linux version), it supports it. Source: here

The salient bit being:

"The original internal alpha version of UI was built in QT and we hoped to do few platforms at same take. However the result looked like crap, our progress seemed slow and we ditched the QT about 2 months before public beta release."

... the Windows version was then implemented in Borland Delphi (100% native compiler, just like its C++ Builder cousin), as the commenter above mentioned.

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft eager to let this be known

Microsoft eager to let this be known so they can force users to upgrade to the shockingly poor new version of Skype.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Microsoft eager to let this be known

Genuinely not going to be surprised. It's appalling the new version and voice practically doesn't work on linux.

[g00se]

Re: Microsoft eager to let this be known

It's appalling the new version and voice practically doesn't work on linux.

I can confirm that. My client's migration to Debian has been completely derailed by his dependence on Skype

I've also heard that the Mac version is inferior too. Is that the case?