Disabling JAVA; How to verify that JAVA is actually disabled?

[Eagleeye]

Good morning everyone,

I just finished reading the latest post in a sub-forum here, as well as, an alert from the Fed regarding a new JAVA exploit. Among the recommendations I've seen to counter this threat is one to disable JAVA in Internet Explorer.

What is the most reliable way to ensure I've actually disabled JAVA in IE8?

Thank you for your time and any enlightenment!

[daledoc1]

Hi, EagleEye:

Unless you need it for a particular website, why not just uninstall it?

(I removed it from both my rigs months ago -- once less security headache.)

If you decide to keep it, for IE, the instructions to disable are:

To enable or disable Java in Internet Explorer:

1. From the Tools menu, or the Tools drop-down in the upper right, select Internet options.
   
2. Click the Programs tab, and then click Manage Add-ons.
   
3. Highlight Java Plug-in.
   
4. Click Disable or Enable (located under "Settings" in version 7), as applicable.
   
5. Click OK twice.
   

And if you use other browsers, such as Fx, you'll need to disable it there, as well.

To test that it's disabled/uninstalled, you can go to this website:

http://www.isjavaexploitable.com/

(Remember, Java and Javascript are NOT the same thing. Please don't confuse them. Java is NOT needed for most webpages.

Java is a third party product from Oracle -- it's acutally a run time environment from programs (applets) written in the java programming language.

javascript is a scripting language and the engine for running javascript scripts is built into the browsers themselves.)

HTH,

daledoc1

[Eagleeye]

Thanks very much for the info, daledoc1!

I'll go to that link you provided to ensure JAVA is disabled in both IE8 and FF. (I'm not really sure how to disable it in FF though).

[daledoc1]

(I'm not really sure how to disable it in FF though).

Click the Firefox button in the upper left of your display > select "add ons" from the dropdown menu > select "Plug-Ins" > find the Java plugin. There will be a "disable" button over on the right side of the display. Click the button. Close Firefox. Re-open Firefox and use the same path to verify that it is disabled.

(Screenshots from Fx 15 are attached, but since I don't have Java installed, it's not listed among my plugins. So I can't show you the specific Java entry.)

Unless you "need" it for interactive content on a particular website, you could just uninstall it.

FYI, the "Java Consoles" listed among the Fx *extensions* (rather than the Plug-Ins) can be completely uninstalled, even if you decide to keep JRE.

I have to go offline now, but if you search at the MZ forum >>HERE<< for "uninstall Java Console", there are several posts with instructions how to do that.

HTH,

daledoc1

PS Uncle Google can be your real friend for these sorts of questions.

[Stalker90]

I DELETE Java...Its biggest junk in world of software...Cyber criminals maybe will find a way to exploit,even if is disabled...Its still in system...

[Eagleeye]

I appreciate the FF info, daledoc1!

Both the Java Platform... and Java Deployment... are both disabled now. I'm unsure if there are any websites I regularly visit that need Java enabled, so I'll just go to each of them and see. If they don't, then I'll uninstall Java altogether.

(For Stalker90): Thanks for your feedback!

[daledoc1]

Okey doke!

Also, see this post by Malware Hunter Blaze for more info: http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=114966&view=findpost&p=591302

daledoc1

[Eagleeye]

Thanks very much for the additional info, daledoc1!

[Eagleeye]

Greetings again,

Just a followup note here. When I went to the website named, isjavaexploitable, it continues to display the warning message that it detects Java on my system, despite the fact I have disabled it in both IE8 and FF.

I was under the impression if Java was disabled on my machine, this site would not display this warning message????? In going to another website shown in Blaze's blog forum (zscaler...),...the site is also telling me my Java is detected and says it is vulnerable to the new exploit.

It appears that even though I have disabled JAVA in both browsers, my system is still open to attack??? It would seem that disabling JAVA does NOT ensure my computer is safe from this latest exploit.

EDIT: I went ahead and uninstalled JAVA & JAVA FX via the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel. After going back to the zscaler... & isjavaexploitable.com websites, they are both indicating JAVA is no longer detected on my computer. Problem solved!

Thanks for any added info on this situation!

[daledoc1]

Thanks for any added info on this situation!

Here you go:

http://forums.malwar...howtopic=115072

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=115075

[Eagleeye]

I appreciate the additional info, daledoc1!

Interesting...Oracle has known about this exploit for four months, but is only now going public about it. Since I've already uninstalled JAVA from my machine, that patch is a little late in coming. The only issue I've had (thus far) since uninstalling JAVA is that I'm unable to print out coupons I get from sites like Arm & Hammer, etc.

Thanks again!