Java version 8 update 121 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.
Notes
core-libs/javax.naming
Improved protection for JNDI remote class loading
Remote class loading via JNDI object factories stored in naming and directory services is disabled by default. To enable remote class loading by the RMI Registry or COS Naming service provider, set the following system property to the string “true”, as appropriate:
com.sun.jndi.rmi.object.trustURLCodebase
com.sun.jndi.cosnaming.object.trustURLCodebase
JDK-8158997 (not public)
security-libs/java.security
jarsigner -verbose -verify should print the algorithms used to sign the jar
The jarsigner tool has been enhanced to show details of the algorithms and keys used to generate a signed JAR file and will also provide an indication if any of them are considered weak.
Specifically, when “jarsigner -verify -verbose filename.jar” is called, a separate section is printed out showing information of the signature and timestamp (if it exists) inside the signed JAR file, even if it is treated as unsigned for various reasons. If any algorithm or key used is considered weak, as specified in the Security property, jdk.jar.disabledAlgorithms, it will be labeled with “(weak)”.
For example:
- Signed by "CN=weak_signer"
Digest algorithm: MD2 (weak)
Signature algorithm: MD2withRSA (weak), 512-bit key (weak)
Timestamped by "CN=strong_tsa" on Mon Sep 26 08:59:39 CST 2016
Timestamp digest algorithm: SHA-256
Timestamp signature algorithm: SHA256withRSA, 2048-bit key
See JDK-8163304
New Features
security-libs/javax.xml.crypto
Added security property to configure XML Signature secure validation mode
A new security property named jdk.xml.dsig.secureValidationPolicy has been added that allows you to configure the individual restrictions that are enforced when the secure validation mode of XML Signature is enabled. The default value for this property in the java.security configuration file is:
jdk.xml.dsig.secureValidationPolicy=
disallowAlg http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-xslt-19991116,
disallowAlg http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmldsig-more#rsa-md5,
disallowAlg http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmldsig-more#hmac-md5,
disallowAlg http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmldsig-more#md5,
maxTransforms 5,
maxReferences 30,
disallowReferenceUriSchemes file http https,
noDuplicateIds,
noRetrievalMethodLoops
Please refer to the definition of the property in the java.security file for more information.
See JDK-8151893
core-libs/java.io:serialization
Serialization Filter Configuration
Serialization Filtering introduces a new mechanism which allows incoming streams of object-serialization data to be filtered in order to improve both security and robustness. Every ObjectInputStream applies a filter, if configured, to the stream contents during deserialization. Filters are set using either a system property or a configured security property. The value of the “jdk.serialFilter” patterns are described in
JEP 290 Serialization Filtering
and in <JRE>/lib/security/java.security. Filter actions are logged to the ‘java.io.serialization’ logger, if enabled.
See JDK-8155760
core-libs/java.rmi
RMI Better constraint checking
RMI Registry and Distributed Garbage Collection use the mechanisms of JEP 290 Serialization Filtering to improve service robustness.
RMI Registry and DGC implement built-in white-list filters for the typical classes expected to be used with each service.
Additional filter patterns can be configured using either a system property or a security property. The “sun.rmi.registry.registryFilter” and “sun.rmi.transport.dgcFilter” property pattern syntax is described in JEP 290 and in <JRE>
/lib/security/java.security
.
JDK-8156802 (not public)
security-libs
Add mechanism to allow non-default root CAs to not be subject to algorithm restrictions
*New certpath constraint: jdkCA*
In the
java.security
file, an additional constraint named “jdkCA” is added to the
jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms
property. This constraint prohibits the specified algorithm only if the algorithm is used in a certificate chain that terminates at a marked trust anchor in the lib/security/cacerts keystore. If the jdkCA constraint is not set, then all chains using the specified algorithm are restricted. jdkCA may only be used once in a DisabledAlgorithm expression.
Example: To apply this constraint to SHA-1 certificates, include the following: SHA1 jdkCA
See JDK-8140422
Changes
security-libs/javax.net.ssl
Improve the default strength of EC in JDK
To improve the default strength of EC cryptography, EC keys less than 224 bits have been deactivated in certification path processing (via the jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms Security Property) and SSL/TLS connections (via the jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms Security Property) in JDK. Applications can update this restriction in the Security Properties and permit smaller key sizes if really needed (for example, “EC keySize < 192”). EC curves less than 256 bits are removed from the SSL/TLS implementation in JDK. The new System Property, jdk.tls.namedGroups, defines a list of enabled named curves for EC cipher suites in order of preference. If an application needs to customize the default enabled EC curves or the curves preference, please update the System Property accordingly. For example:
jdk.tls.namedGroups="secp256r1, secp384r1, secp521r1"
Note that the default enabled or customized EC curves follow the algorithm constraints. For example, the customized EC curves cannot re-activate the disabled EC keys defined by the Java Security Properties.
See JDK-8148516
tools/javadoc(tool)
New –allow-script-in-comments option for javadoc
The javadoc tool will now reject any occurrences of JavaScript code in the javadoc documentation comments and command-line options, unless the command-line option, –allow-script-in-comments is specified.
With the –allow-script-in-comments option, the javadoc tool will preserve JavaScript code in documentation comments and command-line options. An error will be given by the javadoc tool if JavaScript code is found and the command-line option is not set.
JDK-8138725 (not public)
security-libs/javax.xml.crypto
Increase the minimum key length to 1024 for XML Signatures
The secure validation mode of the XML Signature implementation has been enhanced to restrict RSA and DSA keys less than 1024 bits by default as they are no longer secure enough for digital signatures. Additionally, a new security property named jdk.xml.dsig.SecureValidationPolicy has been added to the java.security file and can be used to control the different restrictions enforced when the secure validation mode is enabled.
The secure validation mode is enabled either by setting the xml signature property org.jcp.xml.dsig.secureValidation to true with the javax.xml.crypto.XMLCryptoContext.setProperty method, or by running the code with a SecurityManager.
If an XML Signature is generated or validated with a weak RSA or DSA key, an XMLSignatureException will be thrown with the message, “RSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled” or “DSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled.”
JDK-8140353 (not public)
docs/release_notes
Restrict certificates with DSA keys less than 1024 bits.
DSA keys less than 1024 bits are not strong enough and should be restricted in certification path building and validation. Accordingly, DSA keys less than 1024 bits have been deactivated by default by adding “DSA keySize < 1024” to the jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms security property. Applications can update this restriction in the security property (jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms) and permit smaller key sizes if really needed (for example, “DSA keySize < 768”).
JDK-8139565 (not public)
security-libs
More checks added to DER encoding parsing code
More checks are added to the DER encoding parsing code to catch various encoding errors. In addition, signatures which contain constructed indefinite length encoding will now lead to IOException during parsing. Note that signatures generated using JDK default providers are not affected by this change.
JDK-8168714 (not public)
core-libs/java.net
Additional access restrictions for URLClassLoader.newInstance
Class loaders created by the java.net.URLClassLoader.newInstance methods can be used to load classes from a list of given URLs. If the calling code does not have access to one or more of the URLs and the URL artifacts that can be accessed do not contain the required class, then a ClassNotFoundException, or similar, will be thrown. Previously, a SecurityException would have been thrown when access to a URL was denied. If required to revert to the old behavior, this change can be disabled by setting the jdk.net.URLClassPath.disableRestrictedPermissions system property.
JDK-8151934 (not public)
core-libs/java.util.logging
A new configurable property in logging.properties java.util.logging.FileHandler.maxLocks
A new java.util.logging.FileHandler.maxLocks configurable property is added to java.util.logging.FileHandler.
This new logging property can be defined in the logging configuration file and makes it possible to configure the maximum number of concurrent log file locks a FileHandler can handle. The default value is 100.
In a highly concurrent environment where multiple (more than 101) standalone client applications are using the JDK Logging API with FileHandler simultaneously, it may happen that the default limit of 100 is reached, resulting in a failure to acquire FileHandler file locks and causing an IO Exception to be thrown. In such a case, the new logging property can be used to increase the maximum number of locks before deploying the application.
If not overridden, the default value of maxLocks (100) remains unchanged. See java.util.logging.LogManager and java.util.logging.FileHandlerAPI documentation for more details.
See JDK-8153955
Known Issues
deploy/packager
javapackager and fx:deploy bundle the whole JDK instead of JRE
There is a known bug in the Java Packager for Mac where the entire JDK may be bundled with the application bundle resulting in an unusually large bundle. The work around is to use the bundler option -Bruntime option. For example: -Bruntime=JavaAppletPlugin.plugin sets where the JavaAppletPlugin.plugin for the desired JRE to bundle is located in the current directory.
See JDK-8166835
install/install
Java Installation will fail for non-admin users with UAC off
The Java installation on Windows will fail without warning or prompting, for non-admin users with User Access Control (UAC) disabled. The installer will leave a directory, jds<number>.tmp, in the %TEMP% directory.
JDK-8161460 (not public)
Oracle Java SE Executive Summary
This Critical Patch Update contains 17 new security fixes for Oracle Java SE. 16 of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication, i.e., may be exploited over a network without requiring user credentials.
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