The Problem
For those who aren’t aware, Java is a programming language that requires installing a piece of software called the Java Runtime Environment on machines that run Java code. Many people use Java to create applications that run in browsers however to do this, browsers need to have a plugin installed.
Unfortunately, over recent months there have been numerous security problems discovered in Java, some of which will allow malicious third parties to infect machines running Java with malware via the browser.
Java’s owners, Oracle, have been slow to issue patches to fix the security vulnerabilities, and researchers are discovering new zero-day exploits with alarming frequency.