Oracle informs users to pay for Java 8 updates

Recently, Oracle sales representatives sent emails to some users, saying that the major security updates that Java 8 is about to release will only be available to licensed users. Oracle stopped free support for Java 8 updates as early as January this year. Without a valid license, users cannot apply security updates for Java 8 SE for commercial purposes.

Earlier, Oracle has announced that future updates to Java 8 will only apply to paid licensees, and extend the free support time for Java 8 for the sake of migration difficulties, providing users with a buffer time. Starting in April of this year, Oracle will release a major patch update for Java 8 on a quarterly basis.

Oracle Sales: Hello. Could we interest you in a "Non-publicly available, critical update"?

"Without proper licensing … [leaves] your environment exposed and vulnerable" 😱😱😱

What a steaming hot dumpster fire. pic.twitter.com/V8JicyxiL7

— Alex Rice (@senorarroz) March 25, 2019

In an email received by Alex Rice, founder and CTO of HackerOne, an Oracle Java account manager state that a “non-publicly available, critical patch update for Java 8” would be released on April 16th, 2019 and would only be available to customers if they have an active license. It then goes on to say that without these updates installed, it could leave “your server and desktop environment exposed and vulnerable.”

Bleepingcomputer reporter contacted the official Oracle on the matter, and Oracle refused to comment on the matter.