Java problems

[ECA]

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21829

A SECURITY firm has found "spyware" in "the wild" that can use Java applets to infect Internet Explorer even when a person is using another brand of browser, it is claimed.

VitalSecurity.org says on its site here that the spyware needs Sun's Java Runtime Environment installed.

The initial spyware installer uses a Java applet rather than an Active X component inherent to IE.

It affects Firefox 1.0.1, Mozilla, and Netscape 7.2. Only Opera 7.5.4 blocked the install, it is alleged.

If the browser can recognise and install the applet, then it doesn't seem to matter what browser you're using, or how tight your IE security is, according to the security lot.

Visitors to infected sites would be asked whether they wanted to download the applet. After downloading they would find a wide variety of spy ware installed on their PC. µ

[znaps]

This seems kind of funny to me. It's a signed applet, so the user is shown a warning dialog saying that they should trust the company/individual who is distributing the applet before running it. If you click yes, then you're giving it the right to do whatever it wants basically.

Also, Java is supposed to be cross platform/cross browser compatible, that's what the damn plugin is for. I don't know why they are bringing Firefox specifically into it. It should work on any browser (including IE)...I'm not sure why it doesn't work on Opera, but it probably should.


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