# New malware Scheme? (Disguised as JAVA Download)?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 13, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143 "2010-08-13T12:14:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/1 "2010-08-13T12:14:06Z")
Has anyone experienced this lately? The last two times I was accessing the SDMB, I was interrupted by a Java 6 download-which my Kaspersky A/V stopped-thank God!
Is this a new trend (these malware creeps stealing a legitimate firm’s logo to spread their poison)?
Whoever does this really need s a few millenia in Hell.:mad:
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/2 "2010-08-13T12:27:07Z")
I haven’t seen this, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Usually malware stays away from using legitimate logos, though.
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### Author:  [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/3 "2010-08-13T12:29:01Z")
If some program starts on your machine then that program already has access to your machine. There would be no reason to announce a Java update download - it could just download whatever it wanted.
Java does tend to occasionally pop up update requests - as does Adobe Acrobat.
The thing you need to be wary of is websites that cause pop ups that try and con you into downloading something.
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### Author:  [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/4 "2010-08-13T14:51:08Z")
I can’t resist saying that java _is_ malware.
A bit overstated, but not much.
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### Author:  [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/5 "2010-08-13T15:38:39Z")
> [@GiantRat](#):
>
> I can’t resist saying that java _is_ malware.
>
> A bit overstated, but not much.
I know it’s a tangent, but what are you talking about?
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### Author:  [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/6 "2010-08-13T15:40:54Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#):
>
> > [@GiantRat](#):
> >
> > I can’t resist saying that java _is_ malware.
> >
> > A bit overstated, but not much.
>
> I know it’s a tangent, but what are you talking about?
JAVA.
It’s a system for producing computer program fragments (or, indeed, whole programs) that are platform independent.
See[\*\* Here\*\*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language)).
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/7 "2010-08-13T15:41:43Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#):
>
> > [@GiantRat](#):
> >
> > I can’t resist saying that java _is_ malware.
> >
> > A bit overstated, but not much.
>
> I know it’s a tangent, but what are you talking about?
Yeah, really; it’s just a programming language like C++ or Pascal.
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### Author:  [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/8 "2010-08-13T15:48:27Z")
> [@suranyi](#):
>
> > [@RaftPeople](#):
> >
> > I know it’s a tangent, but what are you talking about?
>
> Yeah, really; it’s just a programming language like C++ or Pascal.
I know, I know. And I don’t blame the language, I blame the developers. I just have a personal distaste for it (and the way lots of folks use it). My apologies to all of the security-aware java folks out there.
But I still say it kills kitties.
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### Author:  [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/9 "2010-08-13T16:09:10Z")
> [@GiantRat](#):
>
> > [@suranyi](#):
> >
> > Yeah, really; it’s just a programming language like C++ or Pascal.
>
> I know, I know. And I don’t blame the language, I blame the developers. I just have a personal distaste for it (and the way lots of folks use it). My apologies to all of the security-aware java folks out there.
>
> But I still say it kills kitties.
Wouldn’t you agree that there are far more problems with C/C++ (e.g. buffer overflow, etc.)? Seems like Java is actually pretty safe in comparison.
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### Author:  [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/10 "2010-08-13T16:12:06Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#):
>
> Wouldn’t you agree that there are far more problems with C/C++ (e.g. buffer overflow, etc.)? Seems like Java is actually pretty safe in comparison.
Yes, but people don’t do annoying things in web pages with c and c++. 😃
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### Author:  [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/11 "2010-08-13T17:10:51Z")
> [@qpw3141](#):
>
> > [@RaftPeople](#):
> >
> > Wouldn’t you agree that there are far more problems with C/C++ (e.g. buffer overflow, etc.)? Seems like Java is actually pretty safe in comparison.
>
> Yes, but people don’t do annoying things in web pages with c and c++. 😃
Java was used for web applets for a short period of time back in the 90’s and pretty much not at all since then.
It is basically the corporate programming language, COBOL II.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/12 "2010-08-13T17:34:50Z")
I recall how Java was supposed to be the “next big thing,” but it never really took off, due to not only security holes (which were patched up) but by resistance by MS which wanted it’s own system. FLASH has replaced a good deal of the Java products but we all know what problems with security FLASH has.
I have Java disabled (as well as FLASH) on my browser, and while I might miss flash (Mostly YouTube) I rarely come across Java issues. If so I just click the “on” button for java on my browswer and reload if necessary
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-malware-scheme-disguised-as-java-download/550143/13 "2010-08-15T11:14:35Z")
If you have an HTML5 enabled browser, you don’t even need Flash for YouTube. I personally keep Flash, but use FlashBlock, and only enable Flash when I need it.
The only places where I’ve encountered Java are Wikipedia (who don’t want to use proprietary Flash) and a few websites that use small homebrew programs (like game system emulators). If you have an HTML5 browser, you don’t even need it on Wikipedia, and from what I gather, most people don’t do the homebrew thing. I use NoScript and block Java on all sites.