FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
1.6.0_19
1.6.0_20

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows XP 5.1.2600

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.13
Firefox 3.6.3

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
With the release of Java 1.6 we have been using applets with a PKI protected web service. The jre reads the PKI credentials from the Windows keystore. We have also been using the applets with Firefox, but with Firefox the PKI certificates must be installed in the Java keystore.

All worked properly through JRE 1.6.0_18. I installed teh automated update to JRE 1.6.0_19 and all PKI protected applets stopped working in both Internet Explorer and Firefox. I just installed and tested with JRE 1.6.0_20 with the same failed result. I am never prompted for the password to my keystore.

I have reverted back to that update and verified that everything again works properly.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Execute any applet against a PKI enabled web server.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Successfull applet execution. HTTP response code '200' in apache web server log.
ACTUAL -
HTTP response code '403' in the apache web server log.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Regression to JRE 1.6.0_18 is the onnly known workaround.

Release Regression From : 6u18
The above release value was the last known release where this
bug was not reproducible. Since then there has been a regression.