Java, BlackBerry desktop get security bug fixes

Sun Microsystems and Research In Motion have issued critical bug fixes for security issues with their products.

The patches were issued separately on Tuesday, with Sun releasing version 6 Update 17 of its Java Runtime Environment and BlackBerry updating its BlackBerry Desktop Software, used to sync data between the BlackBerry and a PC.

Both updates include fixes for critical security bugs that could be abused by attackers to run unauthorized software on a victim's computer, although none of the flaws appear to have been publicly known before Tuesday.

Sun patched 12 Java bugs in total, including flaws that could be exploited to crash a computer or allow untrusted applications to run as though they were trusted.

Sun estimates that there are about 800 million Java desktop users worldwide, so Sun's updates are important.

Hackers have increasingly turned to third party software such as Java as Microsoft has made it harder to attack the core Windows operating system.

There is just one BlackBerry bug fix. The problem lies in a Lotus Notes DLL that is included by default in all BlackBerry Desktop 5.0 and earlier installations.

RIM warned that the flaw could be used to run unauthorized software on a victim's PC.

As with the worst of the Java bugs, an attacker could take advantage of the BlackBerry bug by first tricking the victim to visit a specially crafted Web page.

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