Microsoft Teams and Zoom Hack Warning: How “Ghost Calls” Could Give Hackers the Keys to Your Digital Kingdom
If you thought hackers were only lurking in shady corners of the internet, think again, they might just be hiding in your next Zoom or Microsoft Teams call. Yes, the very platforms you trust for Monday morning meetings and awkward virtual happy hours could be the latest playground for cybercriminals, thanks to a sneaky new trick called “Ghost Calls.”
What on Earth Are Ghost Calls?
No, this isn’t about spooky Zoom backgrounds or creepy glitches. “Ghost Calls” is the name cybersecurity researchers at Praetorian have given to a clever new attack method that uses TURN (Traversal Using Relays around NAT) credentials, temporary login details used by Teams, Zoom, and other video conferencing apps to make connections.
The problem? Hackers can hijack these credentials to tunnel malicious data right through trusted servers, making it look like normal video call traffic. In other words, your firewall and security tools could be happily waving that traffic through without realising it’s actually a cyber break-in.
Why This Is a Big Deal
Here’s why Ghost Calls have security experts on edge:
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Invisible to most security systems – The attack traffic blends in perfectly with legitimate video chats.
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No easy fix – This isn’t a software bug you can just patch. It’s more about the way these platforms fundamentally work.
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Trusted IPs = open doors – Since it uses approved conferencing infrastructure, most networks won’t block it.
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Encrypted traffic hides the payload – Even deep packet inspection tools won’t easily spot it.
Oh, and the stolen credentials last only 2-3 days, meaning by the time you even suspect something’s wrong, the trail could be cold.
How to Stay Safe (Without Quitting Zoom Forever)
Don’t panic – you don’t have to cancel all your meetings (though that does sound tempting). Instead:
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For companies:
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Work with Teams and Zoom to set up detection measures for unusual TURN activity.
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Monitor network traffic for odd conferencing patterns.
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Keep sensitive systems separated from general meeting infrastructure.
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For everyday users:
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Keep your conferencing apps updated.
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Be wary of unexpected calls or meeting invites.
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Report strange network activity to your IT department.
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The Bottom Line
Ghost Calls aren’t just another boring security headline, they’re a wake-up call. The tools we rely on daily to connect, collaborate, and complain about meetings can be flipped into hacker gateways. The takeaway? Stay updated, stay alert, and don’t assume that just because traffic looks like a normal Teams or Zoom session, it’s all business as usual.
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