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U.S. warns on Java software as security concerns escalate
By Jim Finkle | Reuters – 14 hrs ago
(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.
http://news.yahoo.com/government-warns-java-security-concerns-escalate-160640366--sector.html
By Jim Finkle | Reuters – 14 hrs ago
(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.
http://news.yahoo.com/government-warns-java-security-concerns-escalate-160640366--sector.html
