Computer users are being advised by security experts to disable Oracle Corp's widely used Java software after a security flaw was discovered in the past day that they say hackers are exploiting to attack computers.
"Java is a mess. It's not secure," said Jaime Blasco, Labs Manager with AlienVault Labs. "You have to disable it."
Java, which is installed on hundreds of millions of PCs around the globe, is a computer language that enables programmers to write software using just one set of code that will run on virtually any type of computer.
It is used so that Web developers can make sites accessible from browsers running on Microsoft Corp Windows PCs or Macs from Apple Inc.
Computer users access those programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run Java software on top of browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Three computer security experts told Reuters on Thursday that computer users should disable those Java modules to protect themselves from attack.
A spokeswoman for Oracle said she could not immediately comment on the matter.
"This is like open hunting season on consumers," said HD Moore, chief security officer with Rapid7, a company that helps businesses identify critical security vulnerabilities in their networks.
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