Q:

Java on Android - threat?

Several times in the past we have been warned about Java threats and we had to upgrade and sometimes even get rid of Java.
Now I'm considering development for Android devices and I see that it closely ties Java with everything it does.
My question: Do the Java threats have the same effect on Android devices as well or is this different?

A:

"Java" is really just a programming language, and it's very unlikely that any "threats" actually exist in a the language itself.
The Java vulnerabilities we hear about are usually in the Java VM, the software that executes the compiled Java bytecode.
Java code written for Android apps on the other hand compiles to Dalvik bytecode, and thus is run by a Dalvik VM.
So any vulnerabilities found in the Java VM wouldn't necessarily affect the Android Dalvik VM. But it could of course have vulnerabilities of its own.

