FYI!
After reading these, I'm disabling Java for now!
Bob, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
Department of Homeland Security advises computer users to disable Java
because of security bug
Published Sat, 12 Jan 2013 03:43:54 -0500
Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people to
temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid potential
hacking attacks.
The recommendation came in an advisory issued late Thursday, following up on
concerns raised by computer security experts.
Experts believe hackers have found a flaw in Java's coding that creates an
opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief.
Java is a widely used technical language that allows computer programmers to
write a wide variety of Internet applications and other software programs
that
can run on just about any computer's operating system.
Oracle Corp. bought Java as part of a $7.3 billion acquisition of the
software's creator, Sun Microsystems, in 2010.
Oracle, which is based in Redwood Shores, Calif., had no immediate comment
late Friday.
U.S. warns on Java software as security concerns escalate
Published Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:53:52 -0500
(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users to
disable Oracle Corp's Java software, amplifying security experts' prior
warnings
to hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses that use it to surf the
Web.
Hackers have figured out how to exploit Java to install malicious software
enabling them to commit crimes ranging from identity theft to making an
infected
computer part of an ad-hoc network of computers that can be used to attack
websites.
"We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem," the
Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in
a posting
on its website late on Thursday.
"This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by
attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered," the
agency said.
"To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, disable Java in Web
browsers."
Oracle declined on Friday to comment on the warning.
Java is a computer language that enables programmers to write software
utilizing just one set of code that will run on virtually any type of
computer, including
ones that use Microsoft Corp's Windows, Apple Inc's OS X and Linux, an
operating system widely employed by corporations.
Computer users access Java programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run
Java software on top of browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox.
The U.S. government's warning on Java came after security experts warned on
Thursday of the newly discovered flaw.
It is relatively rare for government agencies to advise computer users to
completely disable software due to a security bug, particularly in the case
of
widely used programs such as Java. They typically recommend taking steps to
mitigate the risk of attack while manufacturers prepare an update, or hold
off on publicizing the problem until an update is prepared.
In September, the German government advised the public to temporarily stop
using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser to give it time to patch a
security
vulnerability that opened it to attacks.
Java is so widely used that the software has become a prime target for
hackers. Last year Oracle's Java surpassed Adobe Systems Inc's Reader
software as
the most frequently attacked piece of software, according to security
software maker Kaspersky Lab.
Java was responsible for 50 percent of all cyber attacks last year in which
hackers broke into computers by exploiting software bugs, according
Kaspersky.
That was followed by Adobe Reader, which was involved in 28 percent of all
incidents. Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer were involved in about 3
percent of incidents, according to the survey.
The Department of Homeland Security said attackers could trick targets into
visiting malicious websites that would infect their PCs with software
capable
of exploiting the bug in Java.
It said an attacker could also infect a legitimate website by uploading
malicious software that would infect machines of computer users who trust
that site
because they have previously visited it without experiencing any problems.
They said developers of several popular tools, known as exploit kits, which
criminal hackers use to attack PCs, have added software that allows hackers
to exploit the newly discovered bug in Java to attack computers.
Security experts have been scrutinizing the safety of Java since a similar
security scare in August, which prompted some of them to advise using the
software
only on an as-needed basis.
At the time they advised businesses to allow their workers to use Java
browser plug-ins only when prompted for permission by trusted programs such
as GoToMeeting,
a Web-based collaboration tool from Citrix Systems Inc.
Java suffered another setback in October when Apple began removing old
versions of the software from Internet browsers of Mac computers when its
customers
installed new versions of its OS X operating system. Apple did not provide a
reason for the change and both companies declined to comment at the time.
?
Adam Gowdiak, a researcher with Polish security firm Security Explorations,
told Reuters he believes that Oracle fails to properly test its software
fixes
for security flaws. "It's definitely safer for users to stay away from Java
'til Oracle starts taking security seriously," he said.
(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Bob, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
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