Windows users should uninstall Quicktime, security alert warns

The U.S. government hasrecommended that Windows PC users uninstall Apple Inc's QuickTime video player after security software maker Trend MicroInc saidit had discovered two new bugs inthe software.

Trend Micro said Thursday ithad uncovered two criticalvulnerabilities in the version of the QuickTime media player forMicrosoft Corp's Windows operating system, which couldbe leveraged to launch attacks on PCs if users visit a maliciousweb page or open a tainted file.

The warning does not apply to QuickTime for Apple's Maccomputers.

A spokesman for Apple declined comment.

Trend Micro said that it did not know of any cases where thebugs had been exploited by attackers, but urged Windows users toimmediately uninstall it because Apple was phasing out theprogram, which means it will not fix the bugs.

The Department of Homeland Security's United States ComputerEmergency Readiness Team, or US-CERT, said in an alert onThursday that the bugs put users at heightened risks fromviruses and other security threats since Apple was endingsupport for the product.

"The only mitigation available is to uninstall QuickTime forWindows," the alert said.