security risks from unpatched media players

If you are running versions of Flash, Java, and QuickTime that are unpatched you could be at risk

Tests have shown which applications are the most likely to be installed but unpatched on users' PCs.
In the following list, number 1 represents the unpatched application that was found on the greatest number of users' machines, with higher numbers representing fewer machines:

1. Adobe Flash Player 9.x
2. Sun Java JRE 1.6.x/6.x
3. Macromedia Flash Player 6.x
4. Macromedia Flash Player 8.x
5. Macromedia Flash Player 7.x
6. Apple QuickTime 7.x
7. Macromedia Flash Player 5.x
8. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.x
9. Macromedia Flash Player 4.x
10. Adobe Reader 7.x


These applications are media players, browser plug-ins that play media files, or a browser itself (i.e., Firefox). All of these programs can be attacked across the Internet for example, if you play an infected Flash video you find on a Web site or that you received via e-mail. Consequently, using an older version of these program poses a real security risk.

All of the applications mentioned above support automatic updating. They also allow you to choose to update them manually which some users prefer. If you prefer to update manually, update them on your regulary scheduled malware scan schedule.