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Java Version 7 Update 55 Released

Harris

​Java version 7 update 55 has been released by Oracle.  This is the latest version available for users who run Java on their PCs.  Java is a programming language and computing platform.  It is also a software package that runs on more than 850 million personal computers worldwide.  There are lots of applications and websites that will not work properly unless you have Java installed.

 

Release Highlights
  • The frequency of some security dialogs has been reduced on systems that run the same Rich Internet Application (RIA) multiple times.
  • Using “*” in Caller-Allowable-Codebase Attribute
    If a stand-alone asterisk (*) is specified as the value for the Caller-Allowable-Codebase attribute, then calls from JavaScript code to RIA will show a security warning, and users have the choice to allow the call or block the call. For more information, see JAR File Manifest Attributes for Security documentation.
  • Disabling Sponsor Offers in the Java Installer
    During the installation of Java, users may be presented with the option of downloading and installing sponsor offers, such as browser add-ons, or security software. With 7u55 and later releases of Java, sponsor offers can be bypassed entirely by using "SPONSORS=0" as an option, when installing Java via the command line:

    • Manually download the 32bit online installer for 7u55 to your local machine.
    • Click the Windows Start Button/Menu. From the available Menu choices, select the ‘Search box’ and enter the text “command” in it.
    • A list of matches will appear. Select ‘Command Prompt’ from the available Programs list.
    • Navigate to the folder containing the downloaded installer, e.g.:
      cd c:Users<username>Downloads
    • To start the installation, in the Command Prompt window type:
      jre-7u55-windows-i586-iftw.exe SPONSORS=0

    The option to disable sponsors will persist across all future updates and re-installs of Java. Note that sponsor offers, and therefore this functionality, is only applicable to online 32bit JRE installers and Auto Update mechanisms for the Windows operating system. FAQ

  • Bug Fix: Java plugin compatibility with Windows 8.1 IE 11 enhanced protected mode
    Starting in this release Java Plug-in is compatible with Windows Enhanced Protected Mode (EPM) on Windows 8.1 and IE 11. You should no longer see any warning related to EPM when trying to run an applet in Internet Explorer (IE). There is a special case for 64-bit Windows – EPM requires both 32-bit and 64-bit Plug-in installed. Please make sure you have both 32-bit and 64-bit JRE installed, otherwise there will be a warning from IE, but Java Plug-in will still run under EPM.

 

Oracle Java SE Executive Summary

 

This Critical Patch Update contains 37 new security fixes for Oracle Java SE.  35 of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication, i.e., may be exploited over a network without the need for a username and password.

 

Java is one of the applications that is managed and updated by ODS.  If you are a current customer, ODS will automatically update your version of Java over the next few days.  The update will install silently.  No user interaction is required.  There are no additional fees or charges for ODS to update your version of Java.   

If you would like assistance managing and deploying Java for PCs, please contact H Tech Solutions using the URL below.
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