'FREAK attack' flaw: An Indian computer scientist cracks the FREAK code

New York: A group of computer scientists, led by Karthikeyan Bhargavan, a researcher at France-based INRIA, have discovered a serious vulnerability in the protocols used to encrypt data sent over the Internet.

The security flaw leaves millions of users who surf the Internet using Apple and Google devices vulnerable to hackers due to a security flaw discovered by Bhargavan, an Indian.

Read: 'FREAK attack’ flaw: Your Apple, Android browser is open to hackers

The FREAK attack (Factoring Attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys) is a flaw in Secure-Socket Layer (SSL)/ Transport Layer Security (TLS), a protocol that secures communications over Internet.

Bhargavan and a team of researchers at mitLS, which works on providing verified reference implementation of the TLS — a protocol that provides communications security over the Internet, originally discovered the FREAK attack. The flaw allows cyber criminals or intelligence agencies to bre-ak the encryption and intercepts their communication.