Security Alert: Java Vulnerability
A new zero-day vulnerability in Java—a Poison Ivy variant—has been discovered and exploits have been found. The flaw affects all versions of Oracle’s Java 7 (version 1.7) on all supported operating systems. No patch is available at this time. Java 6 and earlier are currently unaffected (although that will possibly change soon).
If your computer is managed by IS&T using KACE or is running Blackboard, it should be running Java version 6 and is currently not affected by this issue.
Find out if your computer can be exploited: www.isjavaexploitable.com
In order for this vulnerability to be exploited, you have to visit a web page or follow a link to an infected site. If your computer has been exploited, the software can do anything with your computer that you can.
Recommendations
- If you are not using any programs that require Java, remove it from your system altogether. Java is one of the most heavily-exploited platforms in the world today due to its almost ubiquitous presence.
- If you have to have Java for a specific program, but don’t need it for the web pages you visit, disable Java for universal use on your browsers. (Links to instructions listed below.) It is safest to allow use of Java browser plug-ins on a case-by-case basis when prompted for permission by trusted programs.
- If you cannot disable Java in your browsers, confine your browsing to regular commercial sites which, while not immune from being infected, are typically more carefully maintained and monitored and represent a lower risk. This is not a reliable security approach, but it is better than nothing.
Disable Java
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Firefox
(For Firefox on Mac OS X, it is like Windows XP (Tools > Add-ons)) - Chrome
While in Chrome, enter this URL: chrome://plugins/ then click Disable under Java.
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(See original post from TechWeb)
