Apple is to automatically remove old versions of the Java software from browsers on Mac computers over growing security fears.
The latest update for the Apple operating system will axe Java software that previously came bundled with Mac OS X. Users will then have to manually redownload the software from Oracle if they want to continue to access websites or content written in the Java programming language.The move follows a promise made two years ago that Apple would at some stage in the future no longer include Java in its installations. There was no word on that commitment until now and Apple has not provided any explanation for why it made the cut.The timing is obvious, however, as Java has come under heavy fire from security experts in recent weeks and months over a number of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. In August several security holes were found, which were patched by Oracle a few days later, but since then there have been reports of other vulnerabilities, including two new ones discovered last Friday.Since Java will not be outright banned on Macs, users can still download it themselves and possibly suffer from security issues as a result, but at least then Apple can claim no responsibility for those problems, since the software is no longer officially supported.Source: Reuters