The Security Threats Posed by Java Applets

C.

Source: TIPTON, Hal, (ISC)2, Introduction to the CISSP Exam presentation.

Java applets are small programs that are embedded within web pages and executed on a user's machine when the web page is loaded. While they can provide additional functionality and interactivity to web pages, they can also pose a security threat if not properly secured.

One way in which Java applets can pose a security threat is through the potential for malicious code to be executed on a user's machine. Java applets are executed within a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on the user's machine, which provides a level of isolation from the underlying operating system. However, if the applet is designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the JVM or in the operating system itself, it can potentially gain access to sensitive information or perform malicious actions on the user's machine.

Another potential security threat posed by Java applets is the ability for them to download and execute additional code from the internet. While this can be a useful feature for applets that require additional functionality, it can also be used to download and execute malicious code.

Additionally, Java applets can pose a security threat by circumventing the same-origin policy, which is designed to prevent scripts from different origins (e.g., different domains) from accessing each other's data. Applets that are signed with a trusted digital certificate can bypass this policy and potentially access sensitive data on the user's machine or on other sites.

In terms of the specific answer choices provided, option B is the correct answer. Java interpreters do not provide the ability to limit system access that an applet could have on a client system. This means that if an applet is designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the JVM or in the operating system itself, it could potentially gain access to sensitive information or perform malicious actions on the user's machine without any limitations. Option A is not correct as SSL and S-HTTP are not related to Java applets. Option C is not specific to Java applets and applies to any executable downloaded from the internet. Option D is also not correct as Java does provide safety mechanisms for program isolation from the client system, such as the use of a sandbox to limit the applet's access to system resources.