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Symantec: QuickTime Flaw Poses Security Threat

by , 8:50 AM EST, November 26th, 2007

The security and virus protection software company Symantec is warning that Apple's QuickTime Player application may be open to malicious attacks. According to the company, both QuickTime 7.2 and QuickTime 7.3 are vulnerable to attacks that could lead to denial of service conditions or the execution of unauthorized code on the user's PC.

Symantec claims the threat stems from the way QuickTime Player handles RTSP Response headers. A specially-crafted header could create a buffer overflow because QuickTime apparently does not properly bounds-check incoming data.

The company did not state if this is a Windows-only problem, or if Mac OS X users are at risk, too. Since an attacker could use this flaw to remotely install applications without user consent, however, this is most likely a bigger threat to Windows users because Microsoft's operating systems are routinely the targets of malware and spyware attacks.

Observer Comments

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Close Name:geoduck Posts: 1662 Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:51 pm Subject:

Maybe QuickTime is vulnerable but I am always suspicious of warnings like this from companies that are in the business of selling security. This is especially true when they use words like 'may be open', 'could lead to', 'could create', etc. etc.


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Close Name:Sir Harry Flashman Posts: 577 Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:56 pm Subject: Windows only

I read over on CNET that it is a Windows only exploit.

Speaking of computer security. Did you all catch 60 Minutes last night? Hackers got into the retailer TJX computer system via poor wireless security, the stores were using WEP. Millions of credit cards and other ID info was stolen, the hackers had access for over a year.


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