Apple has issued a second update to Java in just two days this week as the company works to patch vulnerabilities that have led to the infection of over 600,000 Macs. The Java for OS 2012-002 update is now available to download via Software Update, and it’s recommended that you update.
A Mac infected by a virus used to be something of a rarity, and it was the best argument you could bring to a Mac versus PC debate. But with Mac adoption surging in recent years, it was inevitable that Apple’s operating system would become a target for hackers.
Variations of one Flashback trojan, which first surfaced back in 2007, are now affecting more than 600,000 Macs around the world. Here’s how to find out whether your machine’s affected and kill the malware.
Quick, what makes more money for Google: iOS or its own Android operating system? If you didn’t know anything about what a farce Android has become, you’d assume that Google was making more advertising revenue out of its own platform and ecosystem, but you’d be wrong: the search giant makes up to four times more off of iOS. Ouch.
Intego, the company behind the popular VirusBarrier security software for the Mac, has uncovered a new trojan horse called ‘Flashback.G’ that infects Macs running older versions of Java Runtime. The software installs itself on your system without your acknowledgement when you visit a malicious webpage, then it will record usernames and passwords for sites like Google, eBay, PayPal, and more.
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Despite reports that Bitcoins are near enough dead, hackers have created another Mac Trojan that attacks your computer’s GPU in a bid to generate the digital dollars, as well as your precious personal information.
Hot on the heels of other recent updates Apple has released updates for Java on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 and Snow Leopard 10.6. The updates improve compatibility, security, and reliability.
Macs don’t really get viruses very often, but there’s more than a few anti-software firms who’d like you think they do… and sell you some software to help squash them.
Anytime we write about Mac viruses, then, it should be done with some salt dissolving on the tongue, and anti-virus firm Sophos’ latest report showing a surprising amount of malware on the Mac is no exception.
The data was culled from 50,000 malware reports generated by 150,000 users of Sophos’ free Mac anti-virus software during the first two weeks of November. The chart looks bad, but in actuality, it’s not really very dire… a fact that Sophos themselves are being upfront about.
When Steve Jobs was asked why Apple was deprecating in-house Java development for OS X, he explained: “Sun (now Oracle) supplies Java for all other platforms. They have their own release schedules, which are almost always different than ours, so the Java we ship is always a version behind. This may not be the best way to do it.”
Yesterday, Apple announced how it planned on passing the Java torch back to Oracle: they would be partnering together for the OpenJDK project to make sure that both Oracle and the open source dev community had the tools they needed to keep Java on the Mac alive past Java SE6.
Ostensibly, Apple’s move to deprecate Java would be good for Mac security, in that users will no longer be forced to wait for Apple to update their home-baked Java when Oracle fixes some security vulnerabilities in their build.
According to Charlie Miller, co-author of The Mac Hacker’s Handbook, though, this may make the Mac even less secure than it was before.
Worried about Apple’s recent deprecation of Java under OS X, ending Apple’s own line of custom Java packages? Don’t be: Apple and Oracle have just announced that they will be partnering to bring the OpenJDK project to OS X, guaranteeing the continued support of Java on OS X.
Essentially, what the OpenJDK announcement seems to be outlining is a way for Cupertino to pass the torch of Java development under OS X to Oracle. Apple will continue to support Java SE 6 under Snow Leopard and the forthcoming OS X 10.7 Lion, but once Java SE 7 comes out, Java will instead be Oracle’s responsibility to both build and distribute.
Yesterday, Apple quietly announced that they would cease future distribution of their own custom Java packages, concerning some Java developers. But no need to worry, Steve’s already already explained Apple’s thinking on the matter, and it makes sense to us.
First, Apple’s announcement of Java deprecation. According to the updated developer documentation for the Java updates for OS X released yesterday, Apple will no longer be maintaining their Java runtime at the same level, and it may even be removed from future versions of Mac OS X.
So does that mean that Macs will no longer have up-to-date Java? A concerned Java Developer from Portico Systems emailed Steve Jobs, asking that very question.
Jobs’ response:
Sun (now Oracle) supplies Java for all other platforms. They have their own release schedules, which are almost always different than ours, so the Java we ship is always a version behind. This may not be the best way to do it.
In other words, Apple’s leaving Java to the company that does it best… that is, if Oracle decides to step up and produce their own version of Java for Mac, as they do for every other platform. My guess is they will quickly fill the void and it’ll be a win for everyone: Apple no longer has to spend the money to produce custom-baked, already-obsolete versions of Java, and Mac users will get Java of the same level and quality as it is available on other platforms.
