#1 Trusted Cybersecurity News Platform Followed by 4.50+ million
The Hacker News Logo
Get the Free Newsletter
SaaS Security

Search results for JAVA | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Update Your Java to Patch 20 Vulnerabilities Or Just Disable it

Update Your Java to Patch 20 Vulnerabilities Or Just Disable it

Jul 16, 2014
Today, Oracle has released its quarterly Critical Patch Update (CPU) for the month of July, as part of its monthly security bulletin, in which it fixes a total of 113 new security vulnerabilities for hundreds of the company's products. The security update for Oracle's popular browser plug-in Java addresses 20 vulnerabilities in the software, all of which are remotely exploitable without authentication, that means an attacker wouldn't need a username and password to exploit them over a network. MOST CRITICAL ONE TO PATCH FIRST Oracle uses the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) to provide an open and standardized rating of the security holes it finds in its products. One or more of the Java vulnerabilities received the most "critical" rating according to Oracle's Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), i.e. base score of 10 or near. Although, numerous other Oracle products and software components addressed in the latest security updates, which address
Java-Bot, a Cross-platform malware launching DDoS attacks from infected computers

Java-Bot, a Cross-platform malware launching DDoS attacks from infected computers

Jan 29, 2014
These days botnets are all over the news. In simple terms, a botnet is a group of computers networked together, running a piece of malicious software that allows them to be controlled by a remote attacker. A major target for most of the malware is still Windows, but the growing market of Mac OS X, Linux and Smartphones, is also giving a solid reason to cyber criminals to focus. Recently, Kaspersky Lab has detected another cross-platform Java-Bot , capable of infecting computers running Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux that has Java Runtime Environment installed. Last year, Zoltan Balazs - CTO at MRG Effitas submitted the samples of malicious Java application for analysis to Kaspersky Lab and they identified it as HEUR : Backdoor.Java.Agent.a . According to researchers, to compromise computers, Java-Bot is exploiting a previously known critical Java vulnerability CVE-2013-2465 that was patched in last June. The vulnerability persists in Java 7 u21 and earlier vers
Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu
Unpatched Python and Java Flaws Let Hackers Bypass Firewall Using FTP Injection

Unpatched Python and Java Flaws Let Hackers Bypass Firewall Using FTP Injection

Feb 21, 2017
This newly discovered bugs in Java and Python is a big deal today. The two popular programming languages, Java and Python, contain similar security flaws that can be exploited to send unauthorized emails and bypass any firewall defenses. And since both the flaws remain unpatched, hackers can take advantage to design potential cyber attack operations against critical networks and infrastructures. The unpatched flaws actually reside in the way Java and Python programming languages handle File Transfer Protocol (FTP) links, where they don't syntax-check the username parameter, which leads to, what researchers call, protocol injection flaw. Java/Python FTP Injection to Send Unauthorized SMTP Emails In a blog pos t published over the past week, security researcher Alexander Klink detailed the FTP protocol injection vulnerability in Java's XML eXternal Entity (XXE) that allows attackers to inject non-FTP malicious commands inside an FTP connection request. To demonst
cyber security

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.
New Java Exploits boosts BlackHole exploit kit

New Java Exploits boosts BlackHole exploit kit

Apr 01, 2012
New Java Exploits boosts BlackHole exploit kit A widely disseminated exploit kit popular with hackers has been updated to take advantage of a recently discovered Java vulnerability. Researchers at Microsoft reported last week that it had observed this vulnerability being exploited in the wild. The Java exploit allows attackers to bypass the Java Runtime Environment's sandbox platform to install malicious code remotely. The malicious Java applet is loaded from an obfuscated HTML file. The Java applet contains two Java class files one Java class file triggers the vulnerability and the other one is a loader class used for loading. Named CVE-20120-0507, the flaw essentially allows hackers to bypass the Java sandbox, which is a mechanism designed to blunt attacks from malicious code. For its part, the BlackHole exploit kit, available underground, allows users armed with only basic computer knowledge to set up malicious websites to target vulnerable computers through the web browser
Java Zero-day vulnerability exploited in the Wild

Java Zero-day vulnerability exploited in the Wild

Jul 14, 2015
Really a bad weekend for Internet users. Three previously unknown critical zero-day vulnerabilities were revealed in Adobe's Flash Player over the weekend, thanks to Hacking team data Breach in which 400GB of internal data were leaked over the Internet. Now, a new zero-day vulnerability has been reported in Oracle's Java that is reportedly being exploited in the wild by hackers to target government armed forces. Cybercriminals are actively exploiting the Java-based zero-day flaw in an attempt to target U.S. defense agencies and members of NATO, Trend Micro security researchers warned in a blog post published Sunday. According to researchers, the vulnerability affects only the latest version of Java, version 1.8.0.45. Though the older Java versions, Java 1.6 and 1.7 are not at all affected by this zero-day exploit. So far, there isn't many details disclosed about the Java zero-day bug, considering a patch is yet to be released by Oracle. Although hackers are exploi
Java enabled browsers are highly vulnerable

Java enabled browsers are highly vulnerable

Mar 27, 2013
Oracle has released emergency patches multiple of times in recent months for Java for one after another set of vulnerabilities . About 100 million computers reported to be vulnerable to unauthorized access via different flaw in Java software. Department of Homeland Security's US-CERT already warned users to disable Java permanently to stop hackers from taking control of users' machines. Security experts advised,'T he best defense we have right now for these kinds of attacks is to disable Java in the browser forever' . According to Websense experts, Most browser installations use outdated versions of the Java plug-in that are vulnerable to at least one of several exploits used in popular web attack toolkit. Exploit kits are a very common tool for distribution of many Java-based threats. To detect the vulnerable Java versions that are installed on systems and Websense experts, used their technology via ' threat intelligence network' , which monitors bi
Oracle releases patches for Java vulnerability CVE-2012-4681

Oracle releases patches for Java vulnerability CVE-2012-4681

Aug 31, 2012
Oracle has released a new patch which kills off a vulnerability in Java 7 that was being exploited by malware developers. " Due to the high severity of these vulnerabilities, Oracle recommends that customers apply this Security Alert as soon as possible ," Eric Maurice, the company's director of software security assurance. The out-of-band Security Alert CVE-2012-4681 includes fixes for "three distinct but related vulnerabilities and one security-in-depth issue" affecting Java running within the browser. Users with vulnerable versions of Java installed can have malware silently planted on their systems just by browsing to a hacked or malicious website unknowingly.Java is a free programming language widely used to enable every day programs and website elements to function, including some games, apps and chat, as well as enterprise apps. The attacks using this vulnerability so far have been Windows-based, the exploit was demonstrated on other platforms supported by Java
Oracle Issues Emergency Java Update for Windows

Oracle Issues Emergency Java Update for Windows

Feb 08, 2016
The US-based software maker Oracle delivered an unusual out-of-box emergency patch for Java in an effort to fix a during-installation flaw on the Windows platforms. The successful exploitation of the critical vulnerability, assigned CVE-2016-0603 , could allow an attacker to trick an unsuspecting user into visiting a malicious website and downloading files to the victim's system before installing Java 6, 7 or 8. Although the vulnerability is considered relatively complex to exploit, a successful attack results in " complete compromise " of the target's machine. What You Need to Know About the Java Exploit The successful attack requires an attacker to trick a suitably unskilled user for opening a Java release even though the user is nowhere near the Java Website. Since the existence of the loophole is only during the installation process, users are not required to upgrade their existing Java installations in order to address the vulnerability.
Oracle releases Critical Update to Patch 104 Vulnerabilities

Oracle releases Critical Update to Patch 104 Vulnerabilities

Apr 16, 2014
It's time to update your Java program as Oracle has released its massive patch package for multiple security vulnerabilities. The United States software maker Oracle releases its security updates every three months, which it referred to as " Critical Patch Updates " (CPU). Yesterday, Oracle released its second CPU-date of this year providing important updates that include a total of 104 vulnerabilities, the company has announced . From the overall vulnerabilities, 37 security vulnerabilities impact Java SE and several of these flaws are so serious that it can be remotely exploited by a malicious malware to gain system access and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of a local user. Successful exploitation also allows an attacker to manipulate certain local data on a system and can cause a DoS attack without the need of authentication credentials, which means the flaws can be exploited over a network without the need for a username and password to crashin
Researcher Releases PoC for Recent Java Cryptographic Vulnerability

Researcher Releases PoC for Recent Java Cryptographic Vulnerability

Apr 22, 2022
A proof-of-concept (PoC) code demonstrating a newly disclosed digital signature bypass vulnerability in Java has been shared online.  The  high-severity flaw  in question,  CVE-2022-21449  (CVSS score: 7.5), impacts the following versions of Java SE and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition - Oracle Java SE: 7u331, 8u321, 11.0.14, 17.0.2, 18 Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition: 20.3.5, 21.3.1, 22.0.0.2 The issue resides in Java's implementation of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm ( ECDSA ), a  cryptographic mechanism  to  digitally sign  messages and data for verifying the authenticity and the integrity of the contents. In a nutshell, the cryptographic blunder — dubbed Psychic Signatures in Java — makes it possible to present a totally blank signature, which would still be perceived as valid by the vulnerable implementation. Successful exploitation of the flaw could permit an attacker to forge signatures and bypass authentication measures put in place. The PoC,
Firefox Java update ready to stop BEAST attacks

Firefox Java update ready to stop BEAST attacks

Sep 29, 2011
Firefox Java update ready to stop BEAST attacks Firefox developers searching for a way to protect users against a new attack that decrypts sensitive web traffic are seriously considering an update that stops the open-source browser from working with Oracle's Java software framework. Johnath, the alias for Firefox Director of Engineering Johnathan Nightingale, weighed in: " Yeah - this is a hard call. Killing Java means disabling user functionality like facebook video chat, as well as various java-based corporate apps (I feel like Citrix uses Java, for instance?) " He went on to say that Firefox already has a mechanism for " soft-blocking " Java that allows users to re-enable the plugin from the browser's addons manager or in response to a dialogue box that appears in certain cases. " Click to play or domain-specific whitelisting will provide some measure of benefit, but I suspect that enough users will whitelist, e.g., facebook that even with those mechanisms (which don&
Warning : Java 6 vulnerable to zero-day exploit; added to Neutrino exploit kit

Warning : Java 6 vulnerable to zero-day exploit; added to Neutrino exploit kit

Aug 28, 2013
Hackers are using a new exploit for a bug in the out-of-date but popular Java 6 platform to attack victims, and has been added to a commercially available Neutrino exploit kit. The use of Java 6 still is prevalent, opening up a significant number of users to the threat. F-secure analyst Timo Hirvonen warned about the exploit over Twitter, advising that he had found an exploit in the wild actively targeting an unpatched vulnerability in Java 6, named CVE-2013-2463 . The exploit's proof-of-concept was made public last week, prior to in-the-wild attacks surfacing on Monday. Oracle is aware of the hole but, since Java 6 is no longer supported, the company will not patch the issue. The vulnerability lies in Java Runtime Environment's 2D sub-component, which is used to make two-dimensional graphics. Because no patch is available, the exploits provides cybercriminals and other attackers an effective vehicle to launch attacks targeting users and organizations using Jav
Oracle Ordered to Publicly Admit Misleading Java Security Updates

Oracle Ordered to Publicly Admit Misleading Java Security Updates

Dec 22, 2015
Security issues have long tantalized over 850 Million users that have Oracle's Java software installed on their computers. The worst thing is that the software was not fully updated or secure for years, exposing millions of PCs to attack. And for this reason, Oracle is now paying the price. Oracle has been accused by the US government of misleading consumers about the security of its Java software. Oracle is settling with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over charges that it " deceived " its customers by failing to warn them about the security upgrades. Java is a software that comes pre-installed on many computers and helps them run web applications, including online calculators, chatrooms, games, and even 3D image viewing. Oracle Left Over 850 Million PCs at Risk The FTC has issued a press release that says it has won concessions in a settlement with Oracle over its failure to uninstall older and insecure Java SE software from customer PCs u
Get Lifetime Access to This 60-Hour Java Programming Training Bundle @ 97% Discount

Get Lifetime Access to This 60-Hour Java Programming Training Bundle @ 97% Discount

Apr 16, 2022
Java  is a very versatile programming language. From Android apps to Oracle databases, it can be used to power a wide range of software and systems. As with most  technical skills , the best way to learn Java is through building your own projects. But you can definitely speed things up with high-quality training. The Complete 2022 Java Coder Bundle  provides plenty of that — nine full-length video courses, in fact. The training comes from top-rated instructors, and you get plenty of hands-on projects to try. The included training is worth $1,791. But in a special deal for loyal readers of The Hacker News, you can pick up the bundle for just $39.99.  Special Offer — For a limited time, you can get unlimited lifetime access to over 60 hours of Java training for  just $39.99 . That's an unmissable deal! According to Indeed, the average salary for a Java developer in the US is around $115,000 a year. But even if you don't plan on becoming a specialist, learning Java is a smart move. T
Google Wins Epic Java Copyright Case Against Oracle

Google Wins Epic Java Copyright Case Against Oracle

May 27, 2016
Google has finally won six-year long $9-billion legal battle with Oracle over the use of Java APIs in Android. Oracle filed its lawsuit against Google in 2010, claiming that the company illegally used 11,500 lines of Java code in its Android operating system, violating copyrights owned by Oracle. However, a federal jury of ten people concluded Thursday that Google's use of Java constituted "Fair Use" under US copyright law and delivered a verdict in favor of Google. The case was a big deal as the court decision could have the potential to change the way future apps are written for the Android operating system that is being used by almost 80% of the world's mobile devices. Also Read:   Google 'Android N' Will Not Use Oracle's Java APIs Oracle, who owns Java, had been seeking $9 Billion in damages for the use of application programming interfaces (APIs), which govern how code communicates with other bits of code. However, Google argued that
Oracle Patches Java Zero Day Vulnerability

Oracle Patches Java Zero Day Vulnerability

Jan 16, 2013
Oracle delivered an unusual emergency patch to Java's critical Zero Day vulnerability on Sunday to fix a malicious bug that allowed hackers access to users web browsers. Exploits for the previously undisclosed flaw were being hosted in a number of exploit kits and attacks have already been seen in the wild dropping ransomware and assorted other malware. Security Alert CVE-2013-0422  include two vulnerabilities that are remotely executable. Oracle confirmed that the flaws were only present in Java 7 versions and did not impact Java on servers, Java desktop applications, or embedded Java. Java is used in 3 billion machines, about 2 billion of which are desktop or laptop computers. Similarly, Back in August last year, Oracle issued an urgent fix to seal a dangerous security flaw within its Java software that's left thousands of computers wide open to malicious attacks from hackers. Lamar Bailey , director of security research and development for nCircle  said, " We
Apple update removes Java plugin from OS X browsers

Apple update removes Java plugin from OS X browsers

Oct 19, 2012
Apple has discontinued its own Java plugin, issuing an 'update' that removes it from MacOS and encourages users to instead download Oracle's version of the software. Its another step by Apple towards making OS X safer on the web. Mac users may have noticed that Java-based websites are displaying a " Missing Plug-in " notification. The Apple Support page states that this update is for OS X 10.7 and later. Apart from stripping browsers of the Java plug-in, it also removes the Java Preferences application, since it is no longer required for applet setting configuration. Just to be clear, the update does not remove Java from your system if its installed, just the Java plugin from your web browsers. In August, Java was blasted as an unsafe plug-in that should only be used when absolutely necessary after a zero-day exploit was discovered, rolled into the user-friendly Blackhole exploit kit and used for nearly a week before Oracle issued a patch. That patch, however,
Java zero-day exploit sold in underground Market

Java zero-day exploit sold in underground Market

Nov 28, 2012
Once again a zero day vulnerability exploit is sold by cyber criminals in the underground, once again a the flaw is related to Oracle's Java software that could allow to gain remote control over victim's machine. The news has been reported by KrebsOnSecurity blog that announced that the exploit being sold on an Underweb forum. The vulnerability is related to the most recent version of Java JRE 7 Update 9, it isn't present in previous versions of the framework, in particular the bug resides within the Java class "MidiDevice according the info provided by the seller that describes it with following statements: " Code execution is very reliable, worked on all 7 version I tested with Firefox and MSIE on Windows 7 ," " I will only sell this ONE TIME and I leave no guarantee that it will not be patched so use it quickly. " The exploited class is a component of Java that handles audio input and output. It's easy to understand that similar vulnerability has a great value du
Another Java zero-day vulnerability being exploited in the wild

Another Java zero-day vulnerability being exploited in the wild

Mar 02, 2013
Do you still have Java installed? There is a bad news for you ! FireEye has detected yet another Java zero-day vulnerability being exploited in attacks in the wild. The vulnerability targets browsers that have the latest version of the Java plugin installed Java v1.6 Update 41 and Java v1.7 Update 15 and  FireEye warned that the   vulnerability is being exploited to install a remote-access trojan dubbed McRat , researchers from security firm. " Not like other popular Java vulnerabilities in which security manager can be disabled easily, this vulnerability leads to arbitrary memory read and write in JVM process," "After triggering the vulnerability, exploit is looking for the memory which holds JVM internal data structure like if security manager is enabled or not, and then overwrites the chunk of memory as zero. " The exploit is reportedly different from the one used to attack Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and several other companies last mont
Researcher Reveals Multiple Flaws in Verizon Fios Routers — PoC Released

Researcher Reveals Multiple Flaws in Verizon Fios Routers — PoC Released

Apr 09, 2019
A cybersecurity researcher at Tenable has discovered multiple security vulnerabilities in Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway Wi-Fi routers that could allow remote attackers to take complete control over the affected routers, exposing every other device connected to it. Currently used by millions of consumers in the United States, Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway Wi-Fi routers have been found vulnerable to three security vulnerabilities, identified as CVE-2019-3914, CVE-2019-3915, and CVE-2019-3916. The flaws in question are authenticated command injection (with root privileges), login replay , and password salt disclosure vulnerabilities in the Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway router (G1100), according to technical details Chris Lyne, a senior research engineer at Tenable, shared with The Hacker News. Authenticated Command Injection Flaw (CVE-2019-3914) When reviewing the log file on his router, Chris noticed that the "Access Control" rules in the Firewall settings, availabl
Cybersecurity Resources