People who use computers will be advised by security experts to disable Oracle's widespread Java software after having a security flaw was discovered during the past day which they say hackers are exploiting to fight computers.
"Java can be a mess. It's not secure," said Jaime Blasco, Labs Manager with AlienVault Labs. "You should disable it." Java, that's installed on vast sums of PCs worldwide, is often a machine language that enables programmers to write software using one number of code which will operate on every style of computer.
"Java can be a mess. It's not secure," said Jaime Blasco, Labs Manager with AlienVault Labs. "You should disable it." Java, that's installed on vast sums of PCs worldwide, is often a machine language that enables programmers to write software using one number of code which will operate on every style of computer.
It really is used making sure that Web designers can make sites accessible from browsers running on Microsoft Windows PCs or Macs from Apple. People access those programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run Java software along with browsers such as Web browser and Firefox. Three computer security experts told Reuters that people should disable those Java modules to safeguard themselves from attack.
A spokeswoman for Oracle said she could not immediately discuss the matter. "That is like open hunting season on consumers," said HD Moore, chief security officer with Rapid7, a business that helps businesses identify critical security vulnerabilities in their networks.
Moore said machines running on Mac OS X, Linux or Windows all appear to be at risk of attack. Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer with Beyond Trust, asserted businesses may need to keep using Java to gain access to some websites and Internet-based programs that keep going the technology.
"The challenge is mainly for businesses, however, that are fitted with to work with it for a few applications," he explained. "Oracle simply has to perform a much more to secure Java and get their act together."
Security experts said potential risk of attack is currently high because developers of countless popular tools known as exploit kits that criminals use to fight PCs have added software that permits hackers to take advantage of the newly discovered bug in Java to address computers.
