Apple on Tuesday offered QuickTime 7.1.6, an update to its core multimedia software for Mac OS X and Windows. Among the issues adjusted in this release is a fix for an exploit in QuickTime for Java that first came to light at a security conference two weeks ago.
QuickTime 7.1.6 addresses numerous bug fixes and includes support for Final Cut Studio 2, and timecode and closed captioning support in QuickTime Player. Apple recommends the update for all QuickTime 7 users. It is available for download from Apple’s Web site or from the Software Update system preference.
“An implementation issue exists in QuickTime for Java, which may allow reading or writing out of the bounds of the allocated heap. By enticing a user to visit a web page containing a maliciously-crafted Java applet, an attacker can trigger the issue which may lead to arbitrary code execution,” reads Apple’s technical note announcing the update. “This update addresses the issue by performing additional bounds checking when creating QTPointerRef objects. Credit to Dino Dai Zovi working with TippingPoint and the Zero Day Initiative for reporting this issue.”
The exploit with QuickTime for Java was first reported as a Mac OS X issue as it was the winner in a US$10,000 price to break into a MacBook Pro set up at a recent security conference. It was later revealed as a cross-platform security flaw that affects Mac and Windows users alike. Security experts opined that it was inevitable the Mac would suffer such issues. The exploit’s discoverer, Dino Dai Zovi, said he’s been using Mac OS X from the start, though said in a recent interview that he felt Microsoft’s new Vista operating system was more secure than Mac OS X.