US government tells computer users to disable Java

US government tells computer users to disable Java

finance.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 tha

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.seattlepi.com
www.huffingtonpost.com

This is currently the top story at drudgereport.com. I noticed something earlier online about Java but I had no idea this was going on. I am not a computer programmer and I could not even tell you what programs use Java.

Java what is it? How much damage could it do? This is an ongoing story....



finance.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

the search engine really isn't that bad you know.. i just put 'java' in to find tonights post about it already

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by ladyteeny


WTF, I searched for it too but I did not see it ... sorry ..... on ATS search used name if article .....

reply to post by fnpmitchreturns


I trust what the USA government says on this. After all, what would they have to gain by telling a lie? So I disabled Java in all my browsers and then I deleted all Java from the computer - it took me about 2 hours because I don't know computer stuff good, but it is all done. When I am sure Java has made correct the security problems than I might reinstall it.

So we should give the high sign to the USA government for helping us with a warning on it....

i always keep java disabled at all times

Oops....I have a policy of turning and walking in the opposite direction of the herds....

If the masses do as they are told....then I will see what happens when you don't. Worst case...I gotta strip a hard drive and reload....ewe...that blows a day...better than blowing a lifetime. I refuse to take Gov issued crap like this at face value....if there can possibly be a hidden agenda...you can bet it is in there. I will do what they say not to do just so I can see what it is they are talking about.

I have learned...if you are not touching, feeling and experiencing and are only living vicariously through the words of others....you are NOT living.

reply to post by Jeremiah65


actually java can be very harmful they can slip code in there to track you, look at your webcam, find your location, ect.. You should never use java if you can help it sadly allot of sites require java because of the way that they work.

When using TOR you disable all java so that no one can submit malicious code to you and find out your location and keeps you anonymous. That way you are only getting plain script html or php that you can easily look at and see what you are being fed along with it keeps you from getting hacked with the nifty java tricks they can use.

How does an applet escape it's sandbox? Does anyone know any more specifics about the exploit(s) and how exactly they work? For which browsers/platforms? For testing/educational purposes ONLY of course.

Also to disable _javascript, the NoScript plugin for firefox works really well.

reply to post by dc4lifeskater


TOR is not entirely anonymous and it is VERY easy to download a virus from a website on the tornet. Its all about the sites you are visiting and wether or not you trust them. On that note let it be said google and facebook have been known to use tracking cookies.

I like to live dangerously, I'm leaving mine on. lol.

reply to post by Attentionwandered


if you use tor right then yes its completely anon.. also you can easily make it even more safe and anon with proxy chain and whatnot.. either way its much safer then just browsing around on a standard open browser.

Java tester:
javatester.org...

I get a blank.
But unless Java and Active X and other scripts can be turned on without
our knowledge we might be safe.

reply to post by TeslaandLyne


Thank you. I don't have it.

DO IT NOW.

I was just browsing ATS, the only site I was browsing. And all of the sudden my computer rebooted and a screen came up saying my computer was locked. It had a US Department of Justice logo on it, saying that I have been found of pirating software, and looking at pictures of underage minors (WHICH I HAVE NOT, TO EITHER ONE!!) and requested that I paid $300 through some fishy looking Chinese payment system or I would go to prison if I did not pay the fine.

After restarting my computer several times and using windows boot disk, and doing safe mode it went away, and my antivirus detected it as a severe keylogger/trojan which it cleaned out. But seriously, how they heck did they do that by only me browsing ATS?

Seriously, disable JAVA. NOW.

Actually, as of typing this, I found this virus online:
blog.yoocare.com...

Even has images of what it does...


The only thing I can think of, is somehow JAVA caused it. I haven't downloaded anything in quite a while, at all. I only use my computer for browsing ATS and other political forums, and also doing graphic editing and 3D modelling.

reply to post by WP4YT


wow.. .now that you mention it..

I saw one of these last week, and put it down to new age spam.. but it had the AFP (Australian Federal Police) logo.. but it looked just like that..

rebooted my pc... # hangon.. its this pc im on now
here's the version I had

malwaretips.com...

reply to post by fnpmitchreturns

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

I'm not really inclined to do anything the DHS advises me too do for my own safety. It's not really that I don't trust them specifically, it's that I don't trust anyone in federal government.

Well i dont think you should really never use java.. because java is used for a lot of programs and games; most of the apps on your android phones are coded in java.

The way that you get a virus through java is when something asks you "Would you like to run this script?" Then you have to manually select Yes. That will allow the virus to get installed through the use of java. These are called Java Drive-Bys. They usually install RATs, which, if crypted right, are undetectable by all virus scanners. That is if they are Fully Undetectable crypted. So that means it will stay on your system even if you have a virus scanner, untill they release their code that will find the exploit and release their update to fix the virus.

a RAT will be able to access everything on your computer. Turning the mic on, your webcam, programs, opening the disc drive, etc all without you knowing. It can also extract all saved passwords and keylog all keys pressed. So its important to change all passwords if you do get a virus, because more than likely they have them.

Firefox has an app addons.mozilla.org... which with the click of a button you can turn java off/on for anyone that would like it.

reply to post by smwoop


thats a good point..

I wonder how java on your phones is handling it.

Originally posted by fnpmitchreturns

US government tells computer users to disable Java

finance.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 tha

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.seattlepi.com
www.huffingtonpost.com

What about the computer users in the rest of the world..? Or is this virus, computer bug or whatever it is only have a sweet spot for US citizens...and their Java toys?

There is something really strange about this story...

Maybe there is some deep undercover code in some particular Java programmed applications that need a remote firmware upgrade. A national reboot will acomplish the next step on spying on all US citizens and the control over them... Brrr... what a twisted nonsense...

But on the otherhand.... I strongly suspect that there are some powerfull twisted sisters with some realy twisted plans and ideas dealing the cards for the US and everything and everybody in it.

And they are doing it for decades..