Flaws found in Windows-based media players

does that include media player 10

 

Does this also effect Real and Quicktime Alternative in combination with Media Classic Player?

 

After installing Quicktime Alternative you can watch those files in WM10. While installing, just deselect the option to install media player classic, then select the option at the end to use WMP to view all quicktime files. It's Soooo much nicer than having 4 different players!

 

Apple QuickTime is a freely available media player. It runs on a number of platforms including MacOS and Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP operating systems.
Apple QuickTime For Windows does not perform sufficient bounds checking of the "Content-Type" header. This issue may be exploited if a server responds with a maliciously crafted "Content-Type" header to a HTTP request for a media file. A "Content-Type" header of 500+ characters is sufficient to trigger this condition, causing stack variables to be overwritten in the process.
This issue may allow a malicious server to execute arbitrary attacker-supplied code on the host of a client who makes a request for a media file. This may result in a remote compromise, possibly with elevated privileges (depending on the environment). This issue may also allow a hostile server to introduce malicious code into a system running the vulnerable software.
Exploitation of this issue requires that a user makes a request to the malicious server. However, this may also be exploited by a malicious host that is serving streaming media content to the client.
It should be noted that the QuickTime player broadcasts information about the version and the operating environment via the "User-Agent" header of the HTTP request, which may aid a malicious server in successfully exploiting this issue.

Exploit: UNYUN <unyun@shadowpenguin.org> provided the following exploit:
applequicktimeexploit.c

Workaround:
If you use Internet Explorer, you can avoid this problem by disabling ActiveX.
If you open a mov file in QuickTime Player, check the mov file to see whether or not a hyperlink is included. If a hyperlink is specified in the mov file, you must check the "Content-Type" which is sent from webserver.

 

The Real Player problem is no threat to me since I don't use that player. But it does seem like Quicktime Alternative does not work correctly anymore when you uninstall Quicktime Player. So it probably does use components of Apple Quicktime and is maybe vulnerable, am I correct? So it's best to upgrade anyway.

But it's all a bit confusing, if Quicktime and Real Alternative are codecs they should work even without Apple and Real Network players installed right?

 

These input validation error issues were recognized prior to RealPlayer 10 version 6.0.12.690 and RealOne Player 6.0.11.872. In fact, Real Networks RealOne Player 6.0.11 .872 & Real Networks RealPlayer 10.0 v6.0.12.690 were cleared of these directory traversal vulnerabilities. Sloppy!