Zero-Day Flaw Found In Web Encryption

SAN FRANCISCO – A zero-day flaw in the TLS and SSL protocols, which are commonly used to encrypt Web pages, has been made public.

Security researchers Marsh Ray and Steve Dispensa unveiled the TLS (Transport Layer Security) flaw on Wednesday, following the disclosure of separate, but similar, security findings. TLS and its predecessor, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), are typically used by online retailers and banks to provide security for Web transactions.

Ray, who works with Dispensa at two-factor authentication company PhoneFactor, explained in a blog post this week that he had initially discovered the flaw in August and demonstrated a working exploit to Dispensa at the beginning of September.

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