Microsoft Warns Of Two Apps That Installed Root Certificates Then Leaked the Private Keys

Catalin Cimpanu, reporting for ZDNet: Microsoft has issued a security advisory this week warning that two applications accidentally installed two root certificates on users' computers, and then leaked the private keys for all. The software developer's mistake means that malicious third-parties can extract the private keys from the two applications and use them to issue forged certificates to spoof legitimate websites and software publishers for years to come.

The two applications are HeadSetup and HeadSetup Pro, both developed by German audio hardware company Sennheiser. The software is used to set up and manage softphones -- software apps for making telephone calls via the Internet and a computer, without needing an actual physical telephone. The issue with the two HeadSetup apps came to light earlier this year when German cyber-security firm Secorvo found that versions 7.3, 7.4, and 8.0 installed two root Certification Authority (CA) certificates into the Windows Trusted Root Certificate Store of users' computers but also included the private keys for all in the SennComCCKey.pem file.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.