Homeland Security tells computer users to disable Java

Homeland Security tells computer users to disable Java
January 12,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid potential hacking attacks.

A vulnerability in the Java Security Manager allows a Java applet to grant itself permission to execute arbitrary code. An hacker could use social engineering techniques to entice a user to visit a link to a website hosting a malicious Java applet. An attacker could also compromise a legitimate web site and upload a malicious Java applet (a “drive-by download” attack).Any web browser using the Java 7 plug-in is affected. The Java Deployment Toolkit plug-in and Java Web Start can also be used as attack vectors.

Homeland Security believes hackers have found this flaw in Java’s coding creating an opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief. Reports indicate this vulnerability is being currently being actively exploited. .

Java is a widely used technical language developed by Sun Microsystems,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 Sun in 2010.

https://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-010A.html

https://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/us-government-tells-computer-users-to-disable-java-86089.html