Sun Microsystems Inc. has fixed multiple security holes in programs computers rely on to run Java applications. Attackers could use malicious applets on vulnerable PCs to obtain the elevated user privileges needed to read and write local files or execute local applications.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company released three advisories Monday. Two of them outline flaws in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which provides the minimum requirements for computers to run a Java application. It consists of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), core classes and supporting files, according to