Statement

Reference

Year

Java applications are guaranteed to be tamper resistant and virus free because they cannot access system heaps, stacks, or memory.

60 Minute Guide to Java

October 1995

The Java interpreter ensures that you won't download any viruses. When a Java program is downloaded over the Web, it is placed in a restricted region of memory. The interpreter looks over all of the byte codes for the program and makes sure that they obey the laws and constraints of the language. If the byte codes are deemed safe, the interpreter lets the program run, but it still limits access to certain system resources.

Java Essentials for c anc c++ programmers

April 1996

Because Java applets are downloaded to your computer and executed automatically when you view Java-powered pages, you might think that there is a risk of a virus infecting your machine. This is not the case. No Java applet is able to steal information or damage your computer in any way.

Hooked on Java

1996

CERT reports weaknesses in Java bytecode verifier!!!!!
If Java is enabled and a Web page containing a maliciously written applet is viewed by any of the vulnerable browsers or Sun's appletviewer, that applet can perform any operation that the legitimate user can perform. For example, the applet could read, delete, or in other ways corrupt the user's files and any other files the user has access to, such as /etc/passwd.

CERT advisory

29 Mar 1996

http://www.cs.princeton.edu/sip

Princeton

July 1998