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User profile for user: rbenoit
rbenoit Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

After updating to java SE 6 1.6.0_31 (java update 2012-002 for lIon), FF java plugin still shows v14.1.0

Howdy,


After applying the java update 2012-002 for Lion via SU, The FF plugin doesn't appear to be updating... it is still using v14.1.0 from 6/14/11. I tried to download the Lion java 2012-002 update directly via Apple Software Downloads, but the Lion java update labeled "2012-002" is actually the Lion update 2012-001 update, not the 002 update. The Java JVM itself did indeed update on the system to 1.6.0_31-b04-414 (via SU), but the FF 11 plugin didn't. When I check the plugin on the mozilla web site (using FF's check plugin's update link), the plugin is indeed listed as being "out of date". When I enable the plugin and test java at the java test web site, java does indeed work and shows the latest JVM running.... so I'm not worried about the JVM, but just the FF plugin. There doesn't seem to be a way to delete the java plugin from FF (hoping that the JVM would install a new plugin when I use a web site that utilizes java). Disabling the plugin defeats enabling the JVM. So the question is, are there potential security issues with the "old" java plugin, and if so, how do I update the plugin? I have restarted my laptop and restarted FF numerous times, but the "old" plugin remains.... and since I can't re-download the 2012-002 update from Apple, I can't try to re-install the 002 update.


Thx in advance! -Ron

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), Mid-2010 Model (6,1)

Posted on Apr 6, 2012 12:29 PM

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5 replies
User profile for user: rbenoit
rbenoit Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Apr 6, 2012 12:50 PM in response to rbenoit

I did manage to find a little bit more info.


The plugin alias is in the /Library/Internet Plugin-Ins directory, which points to /System/Library/Java/Support/CoreDeploy.bundle/Contents/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin


Here is the directly listing:


0 drwxr-xr-x 8 root wheel 272 Apr 5 21:30 .

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jun 14 2011 ..

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Apr 5 21:31 Download Java Components.app

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 8 2011 Home

0 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 1170 Apr 5 21:29 Info.plist

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jun 14 2011 JavaAppletPlugin.plugin

0 drwxr-xr-x 33 root wheel 1122 Feb 23 23:32 Resources

0 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 462 Apr 5 21:29 version.plist


Obviously the directory was updated with the Lion java 2012-002 update, just not the actual plugin. I tried running the "Download Java Components.app", which is a java applet, but it didn't seem to change anything.


However, most of the components in the avaAppletPlugin.plugin directory did seem to get updated except for the Resources directory itself...


0 drwxr-xr-x 7 root wheel 238 Apr 5 21:30 .

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jun 14 2011 ..

0 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 3951 Apr 5 21:29 Info.plist

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Apr 5 21:30 MacOS

0 drwxr-xr-x 32 root wheel 1088 Feb 23 23:32 Resources

0 drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Apr 5 21:30 _CodeSignature

0 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 471 Apr 5 21:29 version.plist


But the contents of the Resources directory did get updated:


0 drwxr-xr-x 32 root wheel 1088 Feb 23 23:32 .

0 drwxr-xr-x 7 root wheel 238 Apr 5 21:30 ..

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 Dutch.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 English.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 French.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 German.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 Italian.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 Japanese.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 Spanish.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 ar.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 ca.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 cs.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 da.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 el.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 fi.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 he.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 hr.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 hu.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 ko.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 no.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 pl.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 pt.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 pt_PT.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 ro.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 ru.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 sk.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 sv.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 th.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 tr.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 uk.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 zh_CN.lproj

0 drwxr-xr-x 4 root wheel 136 Apr 5 21:30 zh_TW.lproj


So it does appear that the plugin was updated, but doesn't display a newer version ID in FF 11... The question I guess at this point, should it display a newer version ID, and is Mozilla aware that indeed the plugin is "up to date"?


Thx! -Ron

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User profile for user: Allan Clark
Allan Clark
User level: Level 1
10 points

Apr 9, 2012 5:35 PM in response to rbenoit

Hi Ron.


I think you're finding that Apple has released an update to Java, but not to the Firefox Plugin that finds Java and brings it online for the Firefox application.


You may notice that the Firefox plugin is version 14.1.0, which also doesn't match the previous Java release; instead, it's just the version of the plugin. This plugin has the job of finding the Java JVM on the system and bringing it online for the Firefox application to use. The JVM it finds may be in one of a few places it looks based on how distributors will move around their releases.


You said the plugin points to:

/System/Library/Java/Support/CoreDeploy.bundle/Contents/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin


I have this same softlink in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin even though I don't use Firefox.


/System/Library/Java/Support/CoreDeploy.bundle/Contents/ should be the directory updated by the Java Update (which seems logical given the pathname -- /System/Library/Java -- not something like /System/Library/Firefox/Java/).


The plugin itself may not need to be updated if it finds the newer Java release as well as it found the old one, perhaps by following that softlink from /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ which still points to the same place, but didn't need to be updated.


Indeed, avoiding a lock-step update requirement allows this sort of faster response on a JVM update. As well, I believe the Firefox plugin will soon also redundantly check for Java releases it deems "bad" and alert you, the user, to look for an update.


... but to make a long story short, the FF version is still v14.1.0 because you didn't update that, just the Java that the plugin eventually finds and uses.

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User profile for user: rbenoit
rbenoit Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Apr 9, 2012 6:10 PM in response to Allan Clark

Hi Allen, thanks for your reply. I does appear all the plugin components have indeed been updated (or at least were "touched"), with the latest update, but the plug-in version ID isn't showing as updated in FF, at least with respect to how FF is reading the plugin settings.


The version.plist XML files in both the /System/Library/Java/Support/CoreDeploy.bundle/Contents/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin /Contents directory actually does show the plug-in version's BuildVersion as 4, with a CFBundleShortVersionString as 14.2.0 and a SourceVersion of 29000000000000.... so it looks like the plugin is actually v14.2.0, and not 14.1.0 ... so this is probably a FF browser plugin loading issue as to why it is reporting an old version ID and old last modification date.


While the plugin is just a reference for instantiating the JVM, sometimes certain parameters are passed to configure the JVM, which I was concerned could be a source of problems if the JVM was updated but not the plugin. I doubt there are potential issues, as the plugin has not been named as a potential attack vector, but you never know. I'll run this past the folks at Mozilla to see what they have to say about the plugin version info... it's probably just an issue on their end.


Thanks, -Ron

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User profile for user: dotv
dotv
User level: Level 1
1 points

Oct 6, 2012 9:28 PM in response to Allan Clark

Is anything better with a iMAC - enjoyed Pogo.com - but right now I don't even see Java in Applications - - but when I search I find it - and the little gold box shows it can't download without a previous file - which shows it is in - I hope I didn't flub it up - especially when removing cache as they told me to do -

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After updating to java SE 6 1.6.0_31 (java update 2012-002 for lIon), FF java plugin still shows v14.1.0

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