End of Support Advisory: QuickTime for Windows

LAST UPDATED: NOV 12, 2021

QuickTime for Windows is an extensible multimedia framework Apple Inc. developed, capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity.

Trend Micro emailed me to uninstall QuickTime for Windows, is it legit?

Yes. It is a valid email from us to inform you about the possible risk of having QuickTime for Windows on your computer.

What do I need to know about Apple and QuickTime for Windows?

Apple no longer provides security updates for QuickTime for Windows, leaving this software vulnerable to threats.

Why should I uninstall this program?

Apple will no longer issue security updates for Quicktime on the Windows Platform. Thus, vulnerabilities will never be patched, they recommend users to uninstall it. This does not apply to QuickTime on Mac.

What is QuickTime for Windows Zero Day Vulnerabilities?

Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative released advisories for two vulnerabilities found in QuickTime for Windows in accordance with the Zero Day Initiative’s Disclosure Policy for when a vendor does not issue a security patch for a disclosed vulnerability. You can check on it below.

• ZDI-16-241 Apple QuickTime moov Atom Heap Corruption Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
• ZDI-16-242 Apple QuickTime Atom Processing Heap Corruption Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

These vulnerabilities would require a user to visit a malicious web page or open a malicious file to exploit them. And both vulnerabilities would execute code in the security context the QuickTime player, which in most cases would be that of the logged on user.

Is there any reported case of any attack through QuickTime Vulnerability?

While there have not been any reported cases of attacks through this QuickTime vulnerability, it is still highly advised to uninstall the program. QuickTime also joins Microsoft Windows XP and Oracle Java 6 as software that are no longer being updated to fix vulnerabilities found in the program – subjecting them to ever-increasing risk as more unpatched vulnerabilities are discovered to be affecting it.

How does it impact my computer?

Computers running unsupported software are exposed to elevated cybersecurity dangers, such as increased risks of malicious attacks or electronic data loss. Exploitation of QuickTime for Windows vulnerabilities could allow remote attackers to take control of affected systems.

How do I uninstall QuickTime for Windows?

Refer to this Apple Knowledge Base article: Uninstall QuickTime for Windows for complete instructions.

How do I contact Apple support for more information?

You may contact Apple support at support.apple.com.