Is Windows less secure without WMP?

[bristols]

Hello all.

My question for today: is Windows (specifically 9x) less secure without (a fully patched) Windows Media Player?

For example, if WMP is removed from Win 9x, does this cause security problems, or leave the operating system more vulnerable in any way?

I ask this because I know that WMP's is tightly integrated with the OS (at least I think it is as far as XP/XP SP2 goes), and I wonder if any OS security holes that are patched by WMP player code are left open when the player is removed. I am well aware that WMP itself can, in some situations, be a security risk.

Maybe the answer is not straightforward, but... any ideas?

(Thanks. )

Edited October 10, 2005 by bristols

[eidenk]

My question for today: is Windows (specifically 9x) less secure without (a fully patched) Windows Media Player?

Yes.

For example, if WMP is removed from Win 9x, does this cause security problems, or leave the operating system more vulnerable in any way?

No.

I ask this because I know that WMP's is tightly integrated with the OS (at least I think it is as far as XP/XP SP2 goes)

Not really, most WMP runtime files are simply mixed with the OS files in the system folder but that's it. The OS itself doesn't need any of them. MS just makes it complicated by not using a specific subfolder to put all the WMP runtime files in. XP now ships without WMP in Europe I think since a recent EEC ruling.

and I wonder if any OS security holes that are patched by WMP player code are left open when the player is removed.

Again no. If there is no WMP to stream multimedia content from the net there is no WMP vulnerabilities either.

Or so I believe.

[bristols]

Thanks for the reply eidenk, particularly for the info about the WMP runtime files.

What I want to do, of course, is uninstall WMP, but in doing so, not cause myself any security-related issues by removing some file important to the security of the OS.

I didn't understand these two answers (from my reading, they seem to contradict each other):

My question for today: is Windows (specifically 9x) less secure without (a fully patched) Windows Media Player?

Yes.

For example, if WMP is removed from Win 9x, does this cause security problems, or leave the operating system more vulnerable in any way?

No.

You seem to say that yes, Windows is less secure without WMP, but then no, removing WMP does not harm the OS's security.

Maybe my first question wasn't clear. Take out the part in parentheses - "a fully patched" - to see what I mean. For example, I don't mean "Is WMP more secure if it is fully patched?" Of course the answer is yes (if the patches are high quality). I do mean "Does Windows need WMP for security reasons?"

But I guess you've answered my questions.

[eidenk]

I understood your first question as patched WMP versus non patched WMP.

[bristols]

Yep, my first question was confusing.

Anyway, good to hear that WMP is not integral to Win 9x's security.