Obsolete Java Extensions in Firefox

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The Secunia Personal Software Inspector reports that I have a number of “patched” older Java extensions installed in Firefox. Yet, Firefox itself reports only the very latest, Update 20.

I am very diligent about updating Java and did so after reading Susan’s article in the latest issue of WS, without waiting for auto updates to kick in. I have verified that only the very latest version of Java is installed on this XP SP3 desktop. (I am one of those users who was well-aware of the fact that–until recently–older versions had to be removed manually, that updating Java did NOT automatically remove older, insecure versions.)

None of these installations shows up in Control Panel > Add/Remove. Instead they all are located in the following folder: Mozilla FirefoxextensionsObsolete.

These so-called “obsolete” extensions are embodied in sub-directories named: {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-00??-ABCDEFEDCBA}, where ?? corresponds to the Java Update number.

1. Why is there a folder for “obsolete” Firefox extensions in the first place if there is only one (the most recent) underlying version of Java installed?

2. Does their presence even in an “obsolete” folder pose any kind of security risk?

3. If there is no valid reason for keeping them around, do they have to be uninstalled in some fashion (say by moving them up one folder tier) or can the folders merely be deleted?

4. Is this issue really nothing more than a tempest in a teapot, a misplaced reporting error for Secunia to resolve?

Many thanks for any and all responses.

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Use Java Ra from now on. It deletes the old files and installs the new ones.

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None of these installations shows up in Control Panel > Add/Remove. Instead they all are located in the following folder: Mozilla FirefoxextensionsObsolete.

These so-called “obsolete” extensions are embodied in sub-directories named: {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-00??-ABCDEFEDCBA}, where ?? corresponds to the Java Update number.

1. Why is there a folder for “obsolete” Firefox extensions in the first place if there is only one (the most recent) underlying version of Java installed?

2. Does their presence even in an “obsolete” folder pose any kind of security risk?

3. If there is no valid reason for keeping them around, do they have to be uninstalled in some fashion (say by moving them up one folder tier) or can the folders merely be deleted?

4. Is this issue really nothing more than a tempest in a teapot, a misplaced reporting error for Secunia to resolve?

I’ve never heard of the Obsolete folder. I would just clear out all the old Java stuff from there. After all, it’s easy enough to install Java again if one of those updates turns out to be important.

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I am disappointed and somewhat surprised, at this forum in particular, that the first two persons to respond self-evidently did not read what I wrote very carefully.

JSCHER2000, I had not heard of such a folder either, until Secunia PSI revealed that that was where they were stored. Sure enough, when I checked, therer really is such a folder! Did you make any effort to verify if such a folder exists on your machine?

MGD

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Did you make any effort to verify if such a folder exists on your machine?

Yes, of course I checked my system before posting. On my PC running Fx 3.5.9, the various Java updates are in the top-level extensions folder, and there is no Obsolete subfolder.

I also conducted numerous Google searches to try to find any references to an “extensionsObsolete” folder or directory. Nothing useful came up.

I also spared you an extensive discourse I had started writing about the Mozilla plugin checker[/url], when I realized it doesn’t check extensions.

Apologies for not spelling out that research in my post, but most people find that sort of thing tiresome so I just went straight to my recommendation.

== Edit ==

This is a work PC, so I cannot run Secunia PSI on it.

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I would go to add/remove programs in control panel and see what is listed there. Any other than the latest should be uninstalled. Java does not update existing installations, just installs new installations. You have to manually uninstall the older versions.

I have looked and ther is no folder called obsolete on my comp. I suggest you just delete that folder and its contents.

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