Freak

Windows systems are vulnerable to FREAK, a decade-old bug that was discovered only this week affecting Android and Apple devices.

FREAK — short for Factoring attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys — allows hackers to decrypt HTTPS-protected Web traffic between browsers and millions of websites. Microsoft confirmed that Windows could be compromised the same way as Android, BlackBerry, iOS and OS X devices in an advisory published today.

An Apple spokesman said on Tuesday that the company plans to release a fix next week to mitigate the newly uncovered 'Freak' security flaw affecting Safari browsers on its iOS and OS X operating systems.

A vulnerability in web encryption technology could enable attackers to spy on communications of users with vulnerable software, including Apple's Safari browser and Google Inc's Android browser, according to researchers who uncovered the flaw.

A representative for Google said he had no immediate comment.