Apple patches two QuickTime holes

Apple has released a security update addressing two vulnerabilities in its QuickTime multimedia player.

Mac OS X and Windows versions of the software are both affected, and the flaws could lead to unintentional disclosure of information or the ability to remotely execute malware.

The first fix addresses a flaw in the handling of JavaScript applets that could allow for remote code execution.

The exploit occurs when an attacker directs the user to a web page containing a specially crafted Java applet. The update allows the software to check and prevent the launch of the malformed code.

The second vulnerability also lies within the Java component of QuickTime. Apple said that unpatched versions of QuickTime fail to clear browser memory, possibly allowing a malicious Java applet to capture whatever information is being stored.

Apple's update forces QuickTime to clear the memory before an untrusted applet can be run.

Windows users can download the update from Apple's support website. Mac users can get the update through the OS X Software Update component. 

JavaScript flaws were also at the root of Apple's last QuickTime update. That patch was issued just 11 days after an independent researcher discovered and wrote an exploit for a QuickTime flaw in under 12 hours.  

Late last year, a QuickTime flaw was used to launch a major phishing attack on MySpace.

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