10 Software You Should Rid Off Your Windows 10 Including JAVA
Are you thinking of using Java on your Windows, Linux, and macOS but still afraid it would cause your system to crash due to its recent review on how dangerous it has become? In this article, I will discuss mainly Java and why it has become less secure on the devices listed above.
Before I proceed, if you can recall, Java was once the most used operating software and was very popular because of the important role it played in the development of mobile phone applications and software.
Lately, Java has been termed the most insecure software for Linux, macOS, and Windows. This has led to a point where most modern browsers block its operation by default.
Is Java Really Insecure for Windows?
You will find out the answer to the above question after the review below about the historical development of Java software.
Java was once the most powerful software that powered devices like printers, lottery devices, Blu-ray disk players, computers, mobile devices, and many more. However, because of its widespread functionality, it became vulnerable to attackers.
The most important feature that distinguishes Java from other applications is that, in situations where the Java application is outdated, instead of auto-updating itself as other software does, it seeks permission from the administrator(s) before doing so.
The mistake most people who use Java make is the ignorance towards uninstalling the older version of Java after installing the new version. Failure to remove the outdated version makes the operating device vulnerable to attacks.
Read Also: 8 Best Video Editing Apps You Might Be Looking For.
What Are Some Vulnerabilities of Modern Java Software?
In 2016, it was discovered that the vulnerabilities of Java software extended to the Java software installer, meaning an attacker could use a specific folder in your Java script to run an attack on your computer or other devices.
Around 2017, it was also discovered that over 80% of Java applications are, in one way or another, vulnerable to attacks, as researched by Veracode.
Even with the vulnerability of Java applications, it was announced in 2016 by Oracle that the Java application will be deprecated in JDK 9, which is now available, and I would consider that good news.
Top 10 Most Vulnerable Desktop Software
Java is considered the most vulnerable and insecure desktop application due to its popularity, but that doesn’t mean there are none that compare to it in terms of vulnerabilities.
Let’s quickly check out the list of the top 10 most insecure programs based on their market share multiplied by the percentage of users who aren’t patched with it.
This research was conducted by Flexera during its latest data computation on Windows software and applications vulnerable to attacks in 2017, which revealed that an average of 7.8% of programs on PCs have reached the end of their life.
- iTunes 12.x
- Java 8.x
- VLC Media Player 2.x
- Adobe Reader XI 11.x
- Adobe Shockwave Player 12.x
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.x
- Kindle for PC 1.x
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 15.x
- uTorrent 3.x
- iCloud for Windows 6.x
Following the list of the top 10 most vulnerable software above, you might be surprised to see that even the safest media, VLC, as most people see it to be, is ranked third on the list.
Additionally, the Avast Q3 security report in 2017 listed some desktop applications considered among the top 10 most out-of-date programs on PCs. Those applications are listed below based on their respective rankings:
- Java 6, 7, and 8
- Adobe Air
- Adobe Shockwave
- VLC Media Player
- iTunes
- Firefox
- 7-Zip
- WinRAR
- QuickTime
- Adobe Flash Player
You can see that in the previous list, Java wasn’t topping the list, but based on the current ranking, we can say Java has become more vulnerable than it used to be.
When you check other sites like TechRadar, you will see that Google Chrome is also included as part of the top outdated apps.
