RE: Viruses - why worry? ;-)

[Ajit Warrier <unixajit yahoo com>]

In general, applets loaded over the net are prevented
from reading and writing files on the client file
system, and from making network connections except to
the originating host. When a Java Applet tries to
access the machine, the Java Virtual Machine pops up a
message which tells you about that fact. The screen
asks you to grant the permission to the applet and if
you do not grant it, the applet cannot access your
machine. That's the security premise of Java. In
effect, the applet is not executing local to your
machine, it is executing in your JVM.

Sure the browser downloads files to the hard disk, but
for an applet to run, it needs the JVM and the JVM
handles security as described above. Java
_applications_ are different and do not have the same
restrictions since they are local to the machine.
Hence for Java applications you need to follow the
same rules you would when you download other
executables.

Hope this helps.

Ajit

--- Mark Knecht <mknecht controlnet com> wrote:
> > > 3) How are Java applets handled WRT executable
> > > permissions? Java itself is
> > > elsewhere, but applets do show up browsing I
> think.
> > > Can those get run from a
> > > partition with no execution rights?
> >
> > ****************************
> > As far as Java Applets are concerned, IMHO, you
> need
> > not worry as they are executed in your browser's
> Java
> > Virtual Machine. Even signed applets (i,e, those
> > certified by Certification Authorities such as
> > Verisign) do not get access to your computer
> itself
> > without your explicitly giving permissions. So you
> are
> > ok there.
> > ****************************
> 
> Thanks Ajit. How would I know if I was giving
> 'explicit' permissions?
> Browser setting? Or disk access permissions? I'm
> sort of concerned that
> since a browser can download a file to my home
> directory, and Evolution
> keeps all of it's data in my home directory
> (Actually sub-directory.) that a
> Java applet could erase stuff. I do periodically
> make a copy of my home
> directory elsewhere (1394 hard drive) but could a
> Java applet do away with
> something in my home directory?
> 
> With best regards,
> Mark
> 
> 
> 
> 
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