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My daily Java | Not only

esperantisto — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 12:02:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: esperantisto
Post title: Not only

[quote]2nl wrote:

JS has become "a little more general", since Apple decided to support it too…[/quote]

I doubt that Apple’s decision has had any influence on general acceptance of JavaScript. Much more important is JS support by, obviously, Internet browsers, as well as by some apps such as Apache OpenOffice/LibreOffice, OmegaT. However, JS remains and will remain just a scripting language. Python, or Perl, or Groovy are much more powerful thus more relevant for real application development.

Anyway, it turns out that JS is offtopic for this particular thread :-)

My daily Java | JavaScript: the new standard?

2nl (X) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:20:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: 2nl (X)
Post title: JavaScript: the new standard?

[quote]Oliver Walter wrote:

Javascript is a less general language

[/quote]

JS has become "a little more general", since Apple decided to support it too. You can now create JS apps in the AppleScript editor. E.g.: [url removed]

My daily Java | Just say "no" and then update manually

Samuel Murray — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 09:17:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Just say "no" and then update manually

[quote]Tina Vonhof wrote:
[i]Do you want the following program to access your computer:
Program: Java auto updates
Verified Publisher: Oracle America, Inc.
File origin: hard drive [/i][/quote]

Your Java installation is set up to auto-update, but your Java installation does not have sufficient privileges on your computer to auto-update, which is why your computer asks you every time. Either set your Java not to auto-update, or figure out how to give Java more privileges on your computer so that it will auto-update without prompting the computer to ask you about it.

[quote]It looks legit but surely they don't update the program every day? [/quote]

Well, it could be that Java isn't being updated after all, but that the prompt you're getting is simply the auto-updater trying to discover whether you still use the latest version of Java. After all, the message doesn't actually ask your permission to update -- instead, it asks if the program called "Java auto updates" may "access" your computer (which could mean that it simply wants to look).

If you click "Yes", does it then update your Java?

[Edited at 2015-02-20 09:18 GMT]

My daily Java | Alerts are fine

esperantisto — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 04:34:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: esperantisto
Post title: Alerts are fine

[quote]Michael Beijer wrote:

I also have Java installed, but have never gotten update messages every day. I'd say something fishy is going on.
[/quote]

You didn't receive messages because, as I understand, you updated Java regularly. If you don't, the Java updater will issue alerts every day, that's normal.

My daily Java | Under control

Tina Vonhof (X) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 03:46:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Tina Vonhof (X)
Post title: Under control

Thank you all for your advice. I think I have things under control. I had saved Java the first time the message appeared and I did it once more today. I ran a scan with my security program, which includes a spyware/malware check and everything seems to be fine. Hopefully this will be the end of the repeated messages.

My daily Java | Update, be careful about upgrades

Meta Arkadia — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:33:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Meta Arkadia
Post title: Update, be careful about upgrades

[quote]Michael Beijer wrote:
I'd say something fishy is going on.[/quote]
Now it has been established we're talking about JRE, and not JavaScript, I'd say it's perfectly safe to update (as I mentioned above). Be careful about upgrades though, because they may render apps that rely on JRE useless.

JRE is "sandboxed" and is rather safe, with the exception of... JavaScript. Running an app that requires JRE (and there are many, especially for us, translators) activates JRE, but that activation goes unnoticed. The security problem is mainly caused by malicious JavaScript codes that run in your browser that can also activate JRE, and that - again - goes unnoticed. Unless you write JavaScript, I think you should disable JavaScript in your browser(s) to be on the safe side.

Cheers,

Hans

My daily Java | Always keep Java updated!

Michael Beijer — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 20:31:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Michael Beijer
Post title: Always keep Java updated!

Hi Tina,

I also have Java installed, but have never gotten update messages every day. I'd say something fishy is going on.

I recommend you install and scan your computer with Malwarebytes ( [url removed] ), and maybe HitmanPro 3 ( [url removed] ).

I disagree with people who said you should never update Java. The opposite is true. Many of these updates contain security updates, so ignoring them them is not at all in your interest. Always keep Java updated, or uninstall it*.

Can you take a screenshot of the dialogue that pops up?

Michael

*See e.g.: [url removed]

[Edited at 2015-02-19 20:34 GMT]

My daily Java | Exact message

Tina Vonhof (X) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 16:37:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Tina Vonhof (X)
Post title: Exact message

Thank you all for your input.

I just received another message, here is what it says:

Do you want the following program to access your computer:
Program: Java auto updates
Verified Publisher: Oracle America, Inc.
File origin: hard drive

So it is indeed about Java not Javascript. It looks legit but surely they don't update the program every day?
I'll see if I can disable the automatic (?) updates.

My daily Java | Right, thank you

Radian Yazynin — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 12:38:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Radian Yazynin
Post title: Right, thank you

-

My daily Java | Java is not Javascript

Oliver Walter — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 11:07:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Oliver Walter
Post title: Java is not Javascript

esperantisto is right. The names are similar, but Java is a general programming language
( [url removed] ). It uses the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) that can be updated from time to time, but not every day:
[url removed]

Javascript is a less general language for use within web pages, to enable them to take certain actions instead of simply displaying fixed content; your version of Javascript is, as far as I know, defined by the browser you use and it can only be updated by updating the browser to a later version. Javascript can be turned on or off in a browser:
[url removed]
and some of its actions can be blocked (at least in Firefox, possibly other browsers) by installing add-ons or plug-ins but that doesn't update Javascript itself.
Tina's problem might perhaps be solvable by using Malwarebytes; e.g. see here:
[url removed]

Oliver

[Edited at 2015-02-19 11:10 GMT]

My daily Java | Other thing

esperantisto — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:07:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: esperantisto
Post title: Other thing

[quote]Radian Yazynin wrote:

Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version. [/quote]

Java is not related to JavaScript, thus, updating Java won’t change anything for JavaScript. To me, any prompt to update JavaScript is very fishy because JavaScript engines are web browser components and thus are updated with respective browsers, not independently.

My daily Java | Just uncheck the Auto Updates option

Radian Yazynin — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:02:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Radian Yazynin
Post title: Just uncheck the Auto Updates option

[quote]Tina Vonhof wrote:
Changing my settings is an option if I can figure out how.
[/quote]
Depending on your current version there must be such an option (Control Panel/Java). Any auto download/update must be disabled.

My daily Java | It may be a virus

Tom in London — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:00:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Tom in London
Post title: It may be a virus

"The “Java Software Critical Update” pop-up ad is a social engineering technique, which is used by cyber criminals to install adware and potentially unwanted programs"

[url removed]

[Edited at 2015-02-19 08:02 GMT]

My daily Java | In short

Meta Arkadia — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:37:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Meta Arkadia
Post title: In short

If it really concerns JavaScript, you're almost certainly dealing with malware.

If it's about JRE, I can only image the update message is triggered when you launch an app that requires a later Java version. The update is probably safe, but may render other apps useless (the only way out is to launch them with the appropriate Java version, probably using the command line). Downloading the later version at [url removed] is safer than downloading using the pop-up, and also allows you to check your current version.

Correct me when I'm wrong.

Cheers,

Hans

My daily Java | Don't "update"

Meta Arkadia — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 23:55:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Meta Arkadia
Post title: Don't "update"

[quote]Radian Yazynin wrote:
Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version.[/quote]
There are different Java flavours, and you are referring to the JRE, the Java Runtime Environment.

The Wiki:
[i]Despite some naming, syntactic, and standard library similarities, JavaScript and Java are otherwise unrelated and have very different semantics. The syntax of JavaScript is actually derived from C, while the semantics and design are influenced by the Self and Scheme programming languages.[9]
JavaScript is also used in environments that aren't web-based, such as PDF documents, site-specific browsers, and desktop widgets.[/i]

Whereas you can update Java JRE, you can't update JavaScript.

Tina should be very, very careful. Since JavaScript uses your webbrowser as a runtime environment, I'd disable JavaScript (somewhere in the browser Settings/Preferences, security), at least for the time being, to see if she still gets those messages. In that case, she should see a doctor, for antibiotics, I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Hans (writing from Java)

My daily Java | Thank you

Tina Vonhof (X) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 23:09:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Tina Vonhof (X)
Post title: Thank you

Thank you all for your advice.

Unfortunately you can't just ignore these messages, you have to say yes or no to make it disappear.
Changing my settings is an option if I can figure out how.
I agree, Radian, that updates sometimes can cause all kinds or problems, I won't do that for sure.

My daily Java | Don't update unless absolutely necessary

Radian Yazynin — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 19:45:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Radian Yazynin
Post title: Don't update unless absolutely necessary

Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version. If all runs well in your PC don't disturb the environment.

My daily Java | Not fishy but definitely a nuisance

Georgie Scott — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 19:08:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Georgie Scott
Post title: Not fishy but definitely a nuisance

I don't think they are fishy, but they're known to be a nuisance and largely unnecessary. You can change your settings so that you are no longer prompted to install these updates.

My daily Java | Depends

neilmac — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 18:21:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Depends

I was getting these messages too for a while, on my laptops. I think I ended up just ignoring them. They may or may not be dangerous, I don't really know.

[Edited at 2015-02-18 18:21 GMT]

My daily Java

Tina Vonhof (X) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:02:00 +0000

Forum: Safe computing
Topic: My daily Java
Poster: Tina Vonhof (X)

I get a message to update Javascript every day and it is a nuisance. Is that normal or is there something fishy here?