The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last Thursday issued a warning to remove Apple’s QuickTime for windows. The alert is coming after a trend Micro’s report of two security flaws in the software; the software has no hopes of being patched as Apple has stopped support for the application.
Computers running QuickTime are open to an increased risk of malicious cyber attacks and/or data loss. The US-CERT is a part of the DHS National Cyber Security and Communications Integration Center, and is warning users that remote attackers could take control of a victim’s computer system due to these flaws.
Apple has not discontinued security updates for QuickTime on Apple computer systems. It’s still not clear why Apple made the decision to end Windows support. Apple has however posted instructions for users to remove QuickTime, recommending QuickTime 7 Pro users to save their registration key before uninstalling.
Christopher Budd, the global threat communications manager for Trend Micro asserts: “We alerted DHS because we felt the situation was broad enough that people having unpatched vulnerabilities on their system needed to be made aware”
The Growing List
QuickTime is another application added to a quickly growing list of software that is no longer supported by its creator. This list includes popular software like: Microsoft Windows XP and Oracle Java 6, leaving those users increasingly open to attack.
As the Tech World increasingly evolves, even newer tech will become obsolete; Which is why it’s so important to stay on top of your network and technology. Protek is always here to help medium and small businesses keep up in today’s ever-changing climate.