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Apple Blocks Java 7 Plug-in on OS X to Address Widespread Security Threat

M

mannyo1221

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2011
90
4
Blandford, UK.
thephoneguy123 said:
Well, I don't think I will join the debate about Java, but a temporary fix to enable Java (I know, it is a security hazard, however I don't have another option as I have to use the Juniper SSL VPN network connect client).
So,
1. close Safari
2. Open a terminal
3. sudo vi /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.plist
4. Find the string <key>MinimumPlugInBundleVersion</key>
5. Just under that line you should see the version. Change the last portion of the number from 19 to 1.
6. Save and exit
7. Start up Safari and you should work. You must keep in mind that this file may be updated by Apple again, so this is only temporary and should only be done if you *must* use your current version of Java.

best of luck....
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, was wondering why I was unable to connect to work until I found this thread. I have also disabled the auto update as per the post a couple down from yours, must remember to turn that back on when Java gets updated.

Its not just the Juniper VPN, there is also the AEP VPN and other legacy websites which will no longer work. I wonder how many others Apple have annoyed by using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
 
J

JTToft

macrumors 68040
Apr 27, 2010
3,447
796
Aarhus, Denmark
So that's why I couldn't access my home banking earlier today!
Safari and Opera both reported "Blocked plugin" when Java loaded, but it worked fine in Firefox... Why is that?
 
inkswamp

inkswamp

macrumors 68030
Jan 26, 2003
2,953
1,278
thephoneguy123 said:
Well, I don't think I will join the debate about Java, but a temporary fix to enable Java (I know, it is a security hazard, however I don't have another option as I have to use the Juniper SSL VPN network connect client).
So,
1. close Safari
2. Open a terminal
3. sudo vi /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.plist
4. Find the string <key>MinimumPlugInBundleVersion</key>
5. Just under that line you should see the version. Change the last portion of the number from 19 to 1.
6. Save and exit
7. Start up Safari and you should work. You must keep in mind that this file may be updated by Apple again, so this is only temporary and should only be done if you *must* use your current version of Java.

best of luck....
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for posting this. The company I work for uses a payroll system that requires the Java plug-in and I was unable to access it. Would have been stuck without this.

I like that Apple is clearly looking out for the safety of their users, but at the same time, it would be nice if they would put in a user interface for temporarily side-stepping this kind of thing instead of having to hack around in the system files. Just a simple prompt of "This plug-in/app has been disabled due to security issues. Do you want to run it this one time?" That would serve the dual purposes of not leaving their users stranded and giving an explanation for why it suddenly doesn't work.
 
D

darkplanets

macrumors 6502a
Nov 6, 2009
853
1
Perhaps someone could provide some clarity for those of us who are too lazy to research the answers...

1) Does this vulnerability effect the Windows Java 7 plug-in as well?
2) Is the SDK and whatnot still okay?
3) Since the 4-7 plug-ins are cited, but since Apple only switched over to Oracle for V7, is 6 and below (Apple versions) still okay? Much like X11 Apple had a selective hand in updating these services. This article made it seem like Apple only nuked 7, not their version 6 and below.
 
RMo

RMo

macrumors 65816
Aug 7, 2007
1,252
280
Iowa, USA
ajovanov said:
apple should provide an easy option to switch back to java 6
Click to expand...

...which would help how? The vulnerability affects versions 4-7.

----------
Rodimus Prime said:
My fear with the Apple solution while it is a good emergency fix is Apple will take to long to remove that emergency solution. Emergency solution are just ones to buy time but not a real fix. Oracle patch it and after the patch Apple needs to its patch removed with in 24 hours as well.
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't need to remove their patch. They increased the minimum required "safe" version number to the next one that Oracle might logically release, so if they stick with this pattern, Apple's fix will be good. They are not going to release another version called 1.7.0_10-b18. We'll probably get 1.7.0_11, which will be fine because Apple is now requiring at least some nonexistent version 1.7.0_10-b19 (the "b" stands for "build"; they are not likely to make programming changes between two of them).
 
X

Xgm541

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2011
1,098
818
krravi said:
As a middleware and server platform Java is great. But when it comes to front end, it sucks like a tornado. Their widgets and the slow response times are horrible. Java was trying to be a "all in one" solution but it never got accepted.

I know the Mars rover interface is Java. But NASA engineers could have chosen the easy way out, you know run it on Linux and throw Java on top of it. Easy out of the box solution. I believe Android is based on such a platform, but I am not sure. No wonder it's so glitchy and jerky.
Click to expand...

Wait, you mean to tell us that some of the smartest men on our planet who got a rover up to Mars should take YOUR advice of OS used? Please tell me when was the last time you sent a rover to Mars using linux with java on top?

As to your all in one solution, yeah im pretty sure it got accepted. Next to linux, java is present or has the ability to be present in your fridge, router, ATM where you get money, etc. I'd call that a pretty good all-in-one solution.

Just because YOU dont like java does not make it any less viable as a programming language that has been used by people with twice your brain capability.

----------
darkplanets said:
Perhaps someone could provide some clarity for those of us who are too lazy to research the answers...

1) Does this vulnerability effect the Windows Java 7 plug-in as well?
2) Is the SDK and whatnot still okay?
3) Since the 4-7 plug-ins are cited, but since Apple only switched over to Oracle for V7, is 6 and below (Apple versions) still okay? Much like X11 Apple had a selective hand in updating these services. This article made it seem like Apple only nuked 7, not their version 6 and below.
Click to expand...

1) yes
2) no
3) apple v6 is likely largely based off oracle v6 therefore its safe to assume the vulnerability is there too. Also the patch requires a sequentially higher version than the newest on currently out, and since 6<7, you'll have to wait.
 
TheWatchfulOne

TheWatchfulOne

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2009
836
966
xionxiox said:
Java is the worst thing ever. Always buggy and slow. Oracle doesn't give a damn about Macs.
Click to expand...

That is not possible. Flash is the worst thing ever. You can't have two worst things ever. It would diminish the title.

Unless what you're really trying to say is that Flash is dead and now Java has inherited title?

If not, then maybe Java can be the second worst thing ever?

No, wait, Adobe makes other software besides Flash, so Java can't even be the second (or ever third or fourth) worst thing ever!;)
 
A

addicted44

macrumors 6502a
Jun 6, 2005
533
168
Rodimus Prime said:
My fear with the Apple solution while it is a good emergency fix is Apple will take to long to remove that emergency solution. Emergency solution are just ones to buy time but not a real fix. Oracle patch it and after the patch Apple needs to its patch removed with in 24 hours as well.
Click to expand...

Any patch Oracle releases will work automatically, without Apple having to do anything.

Apple hasn't blocked the plugin outright. They have blocked plugins with a version upto the current plugin's version. Oracle's patched release will have a higher version number and so will work automatically.
 
iindigo

iindigo

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2002
772
43
San Francisco, CA
KnightWRX said:
I've heard that Ruby on Rails is the most awesomest thing ever. I tried to install the Rails runtime and serve it through Apache. Wow was that ever a PITA and it never quite worked.
Click to expand...

This surprises me. As an amateur web developer I was able to get Rails setup quite easily under CentOS and Debian. Apache/nginx + Phusion Passenger and nginx + unicorn are both very easy to set up, neither takes an more than 30 minutes, maybe an hour if you're having trouble. Phusion even has an ncurses wizard to take you through most of the process.
 
KnightWRX

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
iindigo said:
This surprises me. As an amateur web developer I was able to get Rails setup quite easily under CentOS and Debian. Apache/nginx + Phusion Passenger and nginx + unicorn are both very easy to set up, neither takes an more than 30 minutes, maybe an hour if you're having trouble. Phusion even has an ncurses wizard to take you through most of the process.
Click to expand...

When I set it up, no documentation pointed to Phusion Passenger. That's how I finally got it to work. A lot of it was building from source and doing gem installs, since I run Arch Linux and do not use their Apache binary but my own.
 
K

krravi

macrumors 65816
Nov 30, 2010
1,173
0
Xgm541 said:
Wait, you mean to tell us that some of the smartest men on our planet who got a rover up to Mars should take YOUR advice of OS used? Please tell me when was the last time you sent a rover to Mars using linux with java on top?

As to your all in one solution, yeah im pretty sure it got accepted. Next to linux, java is present or has the ability to be present in your fridge, router, ATM where you get money, etc. I'd call that a pretty good all-in-one solution.

Just because YOU dont like java does not make it any less viable as a programming language that has been used by people with twice your brain capability.

----------



1) yes
2) no
3) apple v6 is likely largely based off oracle v6 therefore its safe to assume the vulnerability is there too. Also the patch requires a sequentially higher version than the newest on currently out, and since 6<7, you'll have to wait.
Click to expand...

Easy there... it was not meant *literally* in every situation. More like using as a front end in a PC for common masses.

YOU can try to sell it all you want, in the end it is what it is.

----------
thajeztah said:
I don't think Eclipse qualifies as an example of JAVA performance. Eclipse is about the worst case of Java performance.

If you're still running Eclipse and use it for web development, please have a look at PhpStorm (http://www.jetbrains.com). Also Java, but a whole lot more responsive.
Click to expand...

Tried it out of curiosity once for the Google App engine. Have to get back to it again sometime....
 
Z

Zmmin3

macrumors regular
Feb 20, 2009
127
0
JTToft said:
So that's why I couldn't access my home banking earlier today!
Safari and Opera both reported "Blocked plugin" when Java loaded, but it worked fine in Firefox... Why is that?
Click to expand...

Not sure as I use firefox myself. If you go to your add-on page, in the plug in section you will see what Mozilla has gone through and blocked itself.
 
calaverasgrande

calaverasgrande

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2010
1,291
161
Brooklyn, New York.
TsMkLg068426 said:
But I am not using Microsoft Windows so I do not get why Mac users should worry about IE.
Click to expand...

PC's and IE are the majority of browsers out there.
Web developers have been using jquery and other tools to determine what the visitors to their sites are surfing in on. If it's mostly Windows XP and IE8 then they will develop for that when they make their next big revision.
So following that to it's logical conclusion, we won't see much in terms of HTML5 on major sites until the major sites see a sufficient majority of their users are on HTML5 compliant browsers.
Sadly, I think by the time we get there HTML5 will be thoroughly branched by Microsoft, Mozilla and Google's various interpretations of it.
Meaning more silly workarounds and accommodations.


Ps oh yeah, you guys do know that Oracle said they have gone to a quarterly release schedule for Java right? And I do believe the most recent revis of Java was less than a month ago.
 
Last edited:
D.T.

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
Blackforge said:
Juniper VPN requires the Java plug-in to launch all associated files. So Juniper VPN is shut off (verified at work when I found out about the block).
Click to expand...

Yep. I had a client deploy an update and I was going to cross check it, but *boing*, the Java limitation bounced me in Safari.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately :) ), there's an Active/X plugin, so I was able to fire up Parallels and access it with IE ;)
 
3lite

3lite

macrumors 6502a
Nov 7, 2011
635
29
Please help.

I am on 10.8.

Under System Preferences, under "Other" There is only the flash icon. No Java.

Under launchpad, there is a application "Java Preferences" but when I click on it nothing shows up. Wtf.

I tried downloading Java, but when I tried installing it by double clicking the pkg it says "installer closed unexpectedly". Java is the only damn thing I cannot install.

Anyone else in the same boat or know a fix to this or what the problem is?
 
Y

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
dilbert99 said:
Not a very good article, points out many insignificant points and some inaccuracies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that article is extremely out of date. Bitching about iterators? I haven't had to use an iterator since JDK 5 gave us the enhanced for loop. And some of those other complaints would be fixed if he were using an IDE instead of vim.

Anyways, whether I like it or not, the two factor authentication to log into my credit union's online banking requires Java, and if Apple has decided it's my best interests to block Java and prevent me from logging in to my online banking, I am not going to be happy. There better be a good way to disable this.
 
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