A flaw in Sun Microsystems' Java software has highlighted the difficulty the company faces as flocks of tech novices start to turn to it for support.

Published: December 7, 2004, 12:01 PM PST By Dawn Kawamoto and Stephen Shankland Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Sun disclosed a serious security flaw in its Java virtual machine software last month. The rare problem, which affects Sun's plug-in for running Java on a variety of Web browsers and operating systems, could allow a virus to spread through PCs running both Microsoft Windows and Linux.

A flaw-free version of the JVM software is available on Sun's Web site, and the company is encouraging people to download it.

But some users of the Firefox Web browser who attempted to download the new software received a version that contained the vulnerability, Sun representatives told CNET News.com.