Oracle is said to be working on an update to address a defect that was first revealed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to the department, the flaw allows criminal hackers to exploit a security bug to attack personal computers.

Oracle said in a statement that the firm was aware of a flaw in Java software integrated with web browsers.

"A fix will be available shortly," the company said.

According to the firm, the glitch has affected the JDK7 version of the software, while Java applications that have been directly installed and operating on servers, desktops, laptops and other devices have not been affected.

Homeland Security requested for PC users to temporarily disable the Java software to prevent potential hacking attacks.

According to a survey by security firm Kaspersky, Java accounted for 50% all cyber attacks that occured in 2012, followed by Adobe Reader, which was responsible for 28% of all attacks, while Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer were each accountable for 3%.