Java flaw draws Web attacks, reports say

Security researchers have spotted a new vulnerability in the widely used Java software that could give attackers access to your computer.

The US-CERT group today issued an alert saying that Java 7 Update 10 and earlier versions of the software contain an unspecified vulnerability that can allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code. The attack can be induced if someone visits a Web site that's been set up with malicious code to take advantage of the hole.

This weak spot is already being attacked "in the wild" -- that is, it's a real-world threat -- and is being incorporated into exploit kits that make it easier for those with ill intentions to create an attack.

Java supplier Oracle has yet to issue a fix for the vulnerability, so researchers are advising users to disable Java for the time being.

The zero-day vulnerability was reported to US-CERT by a blogger named Kafeine at the site Malware don't need Coffee. The exploit has been confirmed by AlienVault Labs, which also was alerted to the matter by Kafeine, and by BitDefender, according to a ... [Read more]





by Jonathan Skillings via CNET