The Java browser plugin will die later this year

By Justin Pot January 28, 2016

oracle By Peter Kaminski via Flickr — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Java’s browser plugin, the software attackers just love to exploit, is going away. Oracle, who owns Java, is retiring the plugin a year from now in their next SDK update.

The Java browser plugin is infamous for its security problems. It is a common entry point for trojans and other attacks on Windows computers and Macs alike, and security experts frequently recommend disabling it entirely. Even the US Department of Homeland Security told people to turn the plugin off to protect their data.

Recommended Videos

Oracle has always patched problems, but never quickly enough to satisfy security experts. So browsers started to force the issue, by removing the plugin capability from their products entirely.

Oracle’s announcement comes after Mozilla’s Firefox, Google’s Chrome, and Microsoft’s new Edge browser all indicated the end of support for browser plugins that use the ancient Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI). This means that, even if Oracle kept updating their browser plugin, only Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s legacy Internet Explorer browsers would support it.

Responding to this, Oracle announced the end of the plugin in a blog post.

“With modern browser vendors working to restrict and reduce plugin support in their products, developers of applications that rely on the Java browser plugin need to consider alternative options,” the post said, adding that the company “plans to deprecate the Java browser plugin in JDK 9” later this year.

With or without support, it’s likely that the Java browser plugin will live on in corporate environments. Many custom-built applications used by businesses and government still depend on the plugin to function, and can’t be easily replaced. Oracle’s announcement means people at those companies will need to keep the plugin around, without the security of software patches.

At the same time, knowing that the security patches will stop working a year from now — and that major browsers will also stop working with legacy versions of the plugin — might be just enough motivation to finally replace the software.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Justin's always had a passion for trying out new software, asking questions, and explaining things – tech journalism is the…

Computing

The most powerful Surface laptop ever may launch later this year

The back lid of the Surface Laptop Studio.

Microsoft's Surface line has become iconic in a few different ways, but performance was never its strong suit. However, according to rumors that have been building throughout this year, we'll be getting the most powerful Surface device we've ever seen later this year.

The product in question is the Surface Laptop Studio 2, a follow-up to the debut of the design in 2021. That initial Surface Laptop Studio was already the most powerful device in the lineup as the replacement of the previous Surface Book designs. Most importantly, these are the only Surface devices to get discrete graphics, making them the best options for creatives and gamers. Of course, that device was unique for its form factor -- but performance was a big selling point too.

Computing

15 years later, the MacBook Air could soon have its best year ever

macbook air

This Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the first-ever MacBook Air going on sale. A decade and a half later, 2023 could be an amazing year for fans of the laptop that changed the industry.

That’s because right now the MacBook Air is in the finest shape of its life, making it one of the best laptops money can buy. And if industry whispers are to be believed, things could get even better in just a few months.

Computing

Two years later, the PS5 could never live up to its performance promises

A PS5 standing on a table, with purple lights around it.

The seams of the PS5 and Xbox Series X are starting to crack. Over the past week, two games launched that challenged the status quo for performance on current-gen consoles: A Plague Tale Requiem and Gotham Knights. Unlike nearly all console releases since 2020, both games shipped locked at 30 frames per second (fps) without a performance mode.

In late 2020, when the Xbox Series X and PS5 debuted, the norm was that players could opt for a high resolution at 30 fps or sacrifice a bit of visual fidelity for a smooth 60 fps. Sony never explicitly said the PS5 would always deliver a smooth 60 fps (Microsoft hinted at it), but that has been the expectation over the past two years. That's changing, and the situation won't improve going forward, especially for these third-party releases.
Next-gen, aging