FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java -version
java version "1.8.0"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0-b132)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.0-b70, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Mac OS X 10.9.2

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
NetBeans 8.0 used to compile.
App signed by Comodo cerificate

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
A java web start application that has been working satisfactorily for many years now fails to start, giving a warning screen “Application Blocked by Security Settings” that gives insufficient information for an end user or indeed the developer of the application to know how to proceed.

The application is signed by a current certificate.

The Manifest.MF in the main jar contains:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Ant-Version: Apache Ant 1.9.2
Application-Name: PKBProd
X-COMMENT: Main-Class will be added automatically by build
Permissions: all-permissions
Codebase: /NetBeansDev/PKBProd/dist
Class-Path: lib/GeneralPurposeBasic.jar lib/GeneralPurpose.jar lib/dbA
 pp.jar lib/PKBOutlookSync.jar lib/moyocore.jar lib/joc-v3.0.2-pro.jar
  lib/postgresql-9.0-801.jdbc4.jar lib/moyocore_dll.jar lib/moyocore_x
 64_dll.jar
Created-By: 1.8.0-b132 (Oracle Corporation)
Main-Class: com.gradwell.PKBProd.PKBProdStartClass

Name: com/gradwell/PKBProd/PKBProdStartClass.class
SHA-256-Digest: gG7H/T5QXpdMhiwmpk/9oiec/VjCRe2/s9MCBjDYY7Y=

Name: META-INF/INDEX.LIST
SHA-256-Digest: h3DSDs1CgqcvMF10DcVCoFiDJQyTzYULo2/b+yARsjc=

Name: com/gradwell/PKBProd/PKBProdWindow.class
SHA-256-Digest: B2klC7j+lpanYFrYVGF/6CWah/Uerq8afeLkqYWPUwM=

Name: com/gradwell/PKBProd/PKBProdProcessor.class
SHA-256-Digest: EdAszJpobThx/IeLVuTa6Pwlk3LLzgyvYKXjIVYGhlk=

Name: com/gradwell/PKBProd/PKBProdLogonWindow.class
SHA-256-Digest: 6cWaiPm7/i/mPjeZ/3hfctFWka8KsxBctOZzIB69Vj0=




REGRESSION. Last worked in version 7u25

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
go to http://pkb.gradwell.com/PKBProdPreStaging/PKBProdPreStaging.html and click on PKB Logon.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The application downloads OK but is blocked from starting. There are no diagnostics that would enable the problem to be diagnosed.

I would expect a diagnostic message such as invalid certificate or attribute missing from Manifest that would enable the developer to identify the issue and fix it.


ACTUAL -
Screen shots can be emailed on request. Reproducible as above.

The application is compiled using NetBeans and signed by a proper certificate.





ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :

A Java Web Start trace is written to in folder file:///Users/davidgradwell/Library/Application Support/Oracle/Java/Deployment/log but contains nothing useful, for example:

Log started: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:12:28 +0000
Java Web Start 11.0.2.132
Using JRE version
 1.8.0-b132 Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM



REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
See http://pkb.gradwell.com/PKBProdPreStaging/PKBProdPreStaging.html
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
None - business critical as the world moves to Java 8