8u121 Update Release Notes
January 17, 2017
Java™ SE Development Kit 8, Update 121 (JDK 8u121)
The full version string for this update release is 1.8.0_121-b13 (where "b" means "build"). The version number is 8u121.
IANA Data 2016i
JDK 8u121 contains IANA time zone data version 2016i. For more information, refer to Timezone Data Versions in the JRE Software.
Security Baselines
The security baselines for the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) at the time of the release of JDK 8u121 are specified in the following table:
| JRE Family Version | JRE Security Baseline (Full Version String) |
|---|---|
| 8 | 1.8.0_121-b13 |
| 7 | 1.7.0_131-b12 |
| 6 | 1.6.0_141-b12 |
JRE Expiration Date
The JRE expires whenever a new release with security vulnerability fixes becomes available. Critical patch updates, which contain security vulnerability fixes, are announced one year in advance on Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Third Party Bulletin. This JRE (version 8u121) will expire with the release of the next critical patch update scheduled for April 18, 2017.
For systems unable to reach the Oracle Servers, a secondary mechanism expires this JRE (version 8u121) on May 18, 2017. After either condition is met (new release becoming available or expiration date reached), the JRE will provide additional warnings and reminders to users to update to the newer version. For more information, see JRE Expiration Date.
Notes
core-libs/javax.naming
Improved protection for JNDI remote class loading
Remote class loading via JNDI object factories stored in naming and directory services is disabled by default. To enable remote class loading by the RMI Registry or COS Naming service provider, set the following system property to the string "true", as appropriate:
Improved protection for JNDI remote class loading
Remote class loading via JNDI object factories stored in naming and directory services is disabled by default. To enable remote class loading by the RMI Registry or COS Naming service provider, set the following system property to the string "true", as appropriate:
com.sun.jndi.rmi.object.trustURLCodebase
com.sun.jndi.cosnaming.object.trustURLCodebase
JDK-8158997 (not public)
security-libs/java.security
jarsigner -verbose -verify should print the algorithms used to sign the jar
The jarsigner tool has been enhanced to show details of the algorithms and keys used to generate a signed JAR file and will also provide an indication if any of them are considered weak.
Specifically, when "jarsigner -verify -verbose filename.jar" is called, a separate section is printed out showing information of the signature and timestamp (if it exists) inside the signed JAR file, even if it is treated as unsigned for various reasons. If any algorithm or key used is considered weak, as specified in the Security property,
For example:
jarsigner -verbose -verify should print the algorithms used to sign the jar
The jarsigner tool has been enhanced to show details of the algorithms and keys used to generate a signed JAR file and will also provide an indication if any of them are considered weak.
Specifically, when "jarsigner -verify -verbose filename.jar" is called, a separate section is printed out showing information of the signature and timestamp (if it exists) inside the signed JAR file, even if it is treated as unsigned for various reasons. If any algorithm or key used is considered weak, as specified in the Security property,
jdk.jar.disabledAlgorithms, it will be labeled with "(weak)".For example:
- Signed by "CN=weak_signer" Digest algorithm: MD2 (weak) Signature algorithm: MD2withRSA (weak), 512-bit key (weak) Timestamped by "CN=strong_tsa" on Mon Sep 26 08:59:39 CST 2016 Timestamp digest algorithm: SHA-256 Timestamp signature algorithm: SHA256withRSA, 2048-bit keySee JDK-8163304
New Features
core-libs/java.io:serialization
Serialization Filter Configuration
Serialization Filtering introduces a new mechanism which allows incoming streams of object-serialization data to be filtered in order to improve both security and robustness. Every ObjectInputStream applies a filter, if configured, to the stream contents during deserialization. Filters are set using either a system property or a configured security property. The value of the "jdk.serialFilter" patterns are described in JEP 290 Serialization Filtering and in/lib/security/java.security. Filter actions are logged to the 'java.io.serialization' logger, if enabled.
See JDK-8155760
Serialization Filter Configuration
Serialization Filtering introduces a new mechanism which allows incoming streams of object-serialization data to be filtered in order to improve both security and robustness. Every ObjectInputStream applies a filter, if configured, to the stream contents during deserialization. Filters are set using either a system property or a configured security property. The value of the "jdk.serialFilter" patterns are described in JEP 290 Serialization Filtering and in
See JDK-8155760
core-libs/java.rmi
RMI Better constraint checking
RMI Registry and Distributed Garbage Collection use the mechanisms of JEP 290 Serialization Filtering to improve service robustness.
RMI Registry and DGC implement built-in white-list filters for the typical classes expected to be used with each service.
Additional filter patterns can be configured using either a system property or a security property. The "sun.rmi.registry.registryFilter" and "sun.rmi.transport.dgcFilter" property pattern syntax is described in JEP 290 and in/lib/security/java.security.
JDK-8156802 (not public)
RMI Better constraint checking
RMI Registry and Distributed Garbage Collection use the mechanisms of JEP 290 Serialization Filtering to improve service robustness.
RMI Registry and DGC implement built-in white-list filters for the typical classes expected to be used with each service.
Additional filter patterns can be configured using either a system property or a security property. The "sun.rmi.registry.registryFilter" and "sun.rmi.transport.dgcFilter" property pattern syntax is described in JEP 290 and in
JDK-8156802 (not public)
security-libs
Add mechanism to allow non-default root CAs to not be subject to algorithm restrictions
*New certpath constraint: jdkCA*
In the java.security file, an additional constraint named "jdkCA" is added to thejdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms property. This constraint prohibits the specified algorithm only if the algorithm is used in a certificate chain that terminates at a marked trust anchor in thelib/security/cacerts keystore. If the jdkCA constraint is not set, then all chains using the specified algorithm are restricted. jdkCA may only be used once in a DisabledAlgorithm expression.
Example: To apply this constraint to SHA-1 certificates, include the following: SHA1 jdkCA
See JDK-8140422
Add mechanism to allow non-default root CAs to not be subject to algorithm restrictions
*New certpath constraint: jdkCA*
In the java.security file, an additional constraint named "jdkCA" is added to thejdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms property. This constraint prohibits the specified algorithm only if the algorithm is used in a certificate chain that terminates at a marked trust anchor in thelib/security/cacerts keystore. If the jdkCA constraint is not set, then all chains using the specified algorithm are restricted. jdkCA may only be used once in a DisabledAlgorithm expression.
Example: To apply this constraint to SHA-1 certificates, include the following: SHA1 jdkCA
See JDK-8140422
Changes
security-libs/javax.xml.crypto
Increase the minimum key length to 1024 for XML Signatures
The secure validation mode of the XML Signature implementation has been enhanced to restrict RSA and DSA keys less than 1024 bits by default as they are no longer secure enough for digital signatures. Additionally, a new security property named
The secure validation mode is enabled either by setting the xml signature property
If an XML Signature is generated or validated with a weak RSA or DSA key, an XMLSignatureException will be thrown with the message, "RSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled" or "DSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled."
JDK-8140353 (not public)
Increase the minimum key length to 1024 for XML Signatures
The secure validation mode of the XML Signature implementation has been enhanced to restrict RSA and DSA keys less than 1024 bits by default as they are no longer secure enough for digital signatures. Additionally, a new security property named
jdk.xml.dsig.SecureValidationPolicy has been added to the java.security file and can be used to control the different restrictions enforced when the secure validation mode is enabled.The secure validation mode is enabled either by setting the xml signature property
org.jcp.xml.dsig.secureValidation to true with thejavax.xml.crypto.XMLCryptoContext.setProperty method, or by running the code with aSecurityManager.If an XML Signature is generated or validated with a weak RSA or DSA key, an XMLSignatureException will be thrown with the message, "RSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled" or "DSA keys less than 1024 bits are forbidden when secure validation is enabled."
JDK-8140353 (not public)
docs/release_notes
Restrict certificates with DSA keys less than 1024 bits.
DSA keys less than 1024 bits are not strong enough and should be restricted in certification path building and validation. Accordingly, DSA keys less than 1024 bits have been deactivated by default by adding "DSA keySize < 1024" to the "jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms" security property. Applications can update this restriction in the security property ("jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms") and permit smaller key sizes if really needed (for example, "DSA keySize < 768").
JDK-8139565 (not public)
Restrict certificates with DSA keys less than 1024 bits.
DSA keys less than 1024 bits are not strong enough and should be restricted in certification path building and validation. Accordingly, DSA keys less than 1024 bits have been deactivated by default by adding "DSA keySize < 1024" to the "jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms" security property. Applications can update this restriction in the security property ("jdk.certpath.disabledAlgorithms") and permit smaller key sizes if really needed (for example, "DSA keySize < 768").
JDK-8139565 (not public)
security-libs
More checks added to DER encoding parsing code
More checks are added to the DER encoding parsing code to catch various encoding errors. In addition, signatures which contain constructed indefinite length encoding will now lead to IOException during parsing. Note that signatures generated using JDK default providers are not affected by this change.
JDK-8168714 (not public)
More checks added to DER encoding parsing code
More checks are added to the DER encoding parsing code to catch various encoding errors. In addition, signatures which contain constructed indefinite length encoding will now lead to IOException during parsing. Note that signatures generated using JDK default providers are not affected by this change.
JDK-8168714 (not public)
core-libs/java.net
Additional access restrictions for URLClassLoader.newInstance
Class loaders created by the java.net.URLClassLoader.newInstance methods can be used to load classes from a list of given URLs. If the calling code does not have access to one or more of the URLs and the URL artifacts that can be accessed do not contain the required class, then a ClassNotFoundException, or similar, will be thrown. Previously, a SecurityException would have been thrown when access to a URL was denied. If required to revert to the old behavior, this change can be disabled by setting thejdk.net.URLClassPath.disableRestrictedPermissions system property.
JDK-8151934 (not public)
Additional access restrictions for URLClassLoader.newInstance
Class loaders created by the java.net.URLClassLoader.newInstance methods can be used to load classes from a list of given URLs. If the calling code does not have access to one or more of the URLs and the URL artifacts that can be accessed do not contain the required class, then a ClassNotFoundException, or similar, will be thrown. Previously, a SecurityException would have been thrown when access to a URL was denied. If required to revert to the old behavior, this change can be disabled by setting thejdk.net.URLClassPath.disableRestrictedPermissions system property.
JDK-8151934 (not public)
core-libs/java.util.logging
A new configurable property in logging.properties java.util.logging.FileHandler.maxLocks
A new "java.util.logging.FileHandler.maxLocks" configurable property is added tojava.util.logging.FileHandler.
This new logging property can be defined in the logging configuration file and makes it possible to configure the maximum number of concurrent log file locks a FileHandler can handle. The default value is 100.
In a highly concurrent environment where multiple (more than 101) standalone client applications are using the JDK Logging API with FileHandler simultaneously, it may happen that the default limit of 100 is reached, resulting in a failure to acquire FileHandler file locks and causing an IO Exception to be thrown. In such a case, the new logging property can be used to increase the maximum number of locks before deploying the application.
If not overridden, the default value of maxLocks (100) remains unchanged. Seejava.util.logging.LogManager and java.util.logging.FileHandler API documentation for more details.
See JDK-8153955
Bug Fixes
The following are some of the notable bug fixes included in this release:
client-libs/javax.swing
Trackpad scrolling of text on OS X 10.12 Sierra is very fast
The MouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() method returned rounded native NSEvent deltaX/Y events on Mac OS X. The latest macOS Sierra 10.12 produces very small NSEvent deltaX/Y values so rounding and summing them leads to the huge value returned from theMouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation(). The JDK-8166591 fix accumulates NSEvent deltaX/Y and the MouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() method returns non-zero values only when the accumulated value exceeds a threshold and zero value. This is compliant with theMouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() specification(https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/awt/event/MouseWheelEvent.html#getWheelRotation):
"Returns the number of "clicks" the mouse wheel was rotated, as an integer. A partial rotation may occur if the mouse supports a high-resolution wheel. In this case, the method returns zero until a full "click" has been accumulated."
For the precise wheel rotation values, use the MouseWheelEvent.getPreciseWheelRotation()method instead.
See JDK-8166591
Trackpad scrolling of text on OS X 10.12 Sierra is very fast
The MouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() method returned rounded native NSEvent deltaX/Y events on Mac OS X. The latest macOS Sierra 10.12 produces very small NSEvent deltaX/Y values so rounding and summing them leads to the huge value returned from theMouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation(). The JDK-8166591 fix accumulates NSEvent deltaX/Y and the MouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() method returns non-zero values only when the accumulated value exceeds a threshold and zero value. This is compliant with theMouseWheelEvent.getWheelRotation() specification(https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/awt/event/MouseWheelEvent.html#getWheelRotation):
"Returns the number of "clicks" the mouse wheel was rotated, as an integer. A partial rotation may occur if the mouse supports a high-resolution wheel. In this case, the method returns zero until a full "click" has been accumulated."
For the precise wheel rotation values, use the MouseWheelEvent.getPreciseWheelRotation()method instead.
See JDK-8166591
This release also contains fixes for security vulnerabilities described in the Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Update Advisory. For a more complete list of the bug fixes included in this release, see theJDK 8u121 Bug Fixes page.
Known Issues
deploy/packager
javapackager and fx:deploy bundle the whole JDK instead of JRE
There is a known bug in the Java Packager for Mac where the entire JDK may be bundled with the application bundle resulting in an unusually large bundle. The work around is to use the bundler option
See JDK-8166835
javapackager and fx:deploy bundle the whole JDK instead of JRE
There is a known bug in the Java Packager for Mac where the entire JDK may be bundled with the application bundle resulting in an unusually large bundle. The work around is to use the bundler option
-Bruntime option. For example: -Bruntime=JavaAppletPlugin.plugin sets where theJavaAppletPlugin.plugin for the desired JRE to bundle is located in the current directory.See JDK-8166835
install/install
Java Installation will fail for non-admin users with UAC off
The Java installation on Windows will fail without warning or prompting, for non-admin users with User Access Control (UAC) disabled. The installer will leave a directory, jds<number>.tmp, in the %TEMP% directory.
JDK-8161460 (not public)
Java Installation will fail for non-admin users with UAC off
The Java installation on Windows will fail without warning or prompting, for non-admin users with User Access Control (UAC) disabled. The installer will leave a directory, jds<number>.tmp, in the %TEMP% directory.
JDK-8161460 (not public)
- wong chee tat :)
