Due to possible hacking, users of QuickTime for Windows are now encouraged to uninstall this media player since Apple has ended its support for the software. This move will now greatly expose QuickTime to exploitation online.
According to CNet, Apple has recently abandoned this software and removed security support for the player. This means that QuickTime users will not anymore be protected to possible security exploitations.
TrendMicro discussed that security updates for the software will not be available for MS Windows but this will not be the case for QuickTime on Mac OSX. It also explained to users that it is very much important to protect the operating system for possible attacks that can start from the QuickTime player.
"One vulnerability occurs an attacker can write data outside of an allocated heap buffer," says Trend Micro. "The other vulnerability occurs in the stco atom whereby providing an invalid index, an attacker can write data outside of an allocated heap buffer."
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) warned users that software which do not have security support are often exposed to cybersecurity risks like loss of electronic date and malware attacks. It explained that once a computer or system has been compromised, hackers can gain access on the systems which are affected.
It was added in a Wired report that Apple might have ended its ties with QuickTime because there are currently better video-playing software available. It mentioned 10 percent of desktop computers around the world still runs on Windows XP which has not received any security update for the past two years.
The same report also mentioned that this announcement should be cascaded to all Windows users who still have QuickTime in their computers or laptops. "And if you're not sure how to get rid of it, just go to the Start icon, click on the Control Panel, then Programs, then Programs and Features. Select QuickTime, and then click Uninstall," Wired instructed.
