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  1. JDK
  2. JDK-6504236

Implement IE Broker process for File I/O on Vista

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Details

    • Enhancement
    • Resolution: Duplicate
    • P3
    • 6u10
    • 6, 6u1
    • deploy
    • x86
    • windows_xp, windows_vista

    Description

      FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
      java version "1.6.0"
      Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0-b105)
      Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.6.0-b105, mixed mode, sharing)

      ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
      Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
      i.e. Vista

      A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
      The current Mustang release note (http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/index.html) claims that:

      "On a Windows OS other than Windows Vista, when running a signed applet, a user is prompted with a security warning dialog box and must respond. If "Yes" is clicked, the applet will have AllPermissions to run on the user's machine. This includes permission to write/delete a file from the local disk.

      On a Windows Vista OS, this is no longer true. Instead, AllPermissions is limited to Java Applet scope, not Windows scope. Because a process running in IE has a low integrity level, it will not be able to write/delete a file from a medium/high integrity level directory. "

      This is true, but there is a well documented design to allow IE add-ins access the file system from the user's normal (Medium) Integrity level, rather the IE's Low Integrity level: implement an Internet Explorer Broker Process. E.g. Adobe Flash do this (http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/11/17/flash-player-9-update.aspx). Sun need to implement such a process for the IE Java plugin. Without it, Sun's implementation of file access (particularly via the AWT FileDialog) is unusable for ordinary users.

      STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
      Create a signed Java applet that accesses the file system outside IE's virtualized file system (e.g. access a file in c:\users\<user name>). Either load, or save a file to this directory. The broker process should be used to access the file, so that the file access works - the current Java plugin lacks this, so the file access is constrained to the IE Low Integrity, which does not have write access to this directory.

      EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
      EXPECTED -
      Signed Java applets should be able to access all files that a Medium Integrity process can access, rather than just files that IE's Low Integrity process can. Note that this also applies to the AWT FileDialog and Swing file chooser dialogs.

      REPRODUCIBILITY :
      This bug can be reproduced always.

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              kbr Kenneth Russell (Inactive)
              tyao Ting-Yun Ingrid Yao (Inactive)
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