CVE-2006-6737 in JDK
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Sun Java Development Kit (JDK) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 5.0 Update 5 and earlier, Java System Development Kit (SDK) and JRE 1.4.2_10 and earlier 1.4.x versions, and SDK and JRE 1.3.1_18 and earlier allows attackers to use untrusted applets to "access data in other applets," aka "The first issue."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in multiple versions of the java development kit and runtime environment that affects the fundamental security model of java applets. The issue stems from insufficient sandbox restrictions that allow untrusted applets to bypass normal security boundaries and access data from other applets running within the same virtual machine. The vulnerability specifically impacts java 1.3.1_18 and earlier versions, java 1.4.2_10 and earlier 1.4.x versions, as well as java 5.0 update 5 and earlier versions of both jdk and jre. This weakness directly violates the core principle of java security where applets should be isolated from each other to prevent unauthorized data access and potential information leakage. The vulnerability is classified under the common weakness enumeration category of insufficient sandbox restrictions and falls within the attack pattern framework of privilege escalation and information disclosure attacks.
The technical flaw manifests through improper enforcement of the java security model's isolation mechanisms that separate applets running in the same browser or application context. When an attacker crafts a malicious untrusted applet, it can exploit this vulnerability to access memory locations or data structures that belong to other applets running in the same java virtual machine instance. This cross-applet data access occurs because the security manager fails to properly validate access requests between different applet contexts, allowing for unauthorized data retrieval that could include sensitive information, session tokens, or application state data. The vulnerability essentially creates a pathway for privilege escalation where untrusted code can gain access to resources that should be protected by the java security sandbox.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to compromise the security isolation that java applets are designed to maintain. An attacker could potentially extract sensitive data from other applets running in the same virtual machine, including user credentials, session information, or proprietary application data. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely heavily on applet technology for rich client-side functionality, making web browsers and java-enabled applications prime targets for exploitation. The vulnerability can be exploited through malicious applets delivered via web pages, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users are not aware of the security implications of running untrusted java code. The attack vector typically involves loading a specially crafted applet that attempts to access data from other applets in the same execution context, which should normally be restricted by java security policies.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected java versions to the latest available updates that address the security flaw. System administrators should ensure that all java installations are updated to versions that have proper sandbox enforcement mechanisms in place. Organizations should also implement strict java security policies that limit applet execution capabilities and disable potentially dangerous applet features. The recommended approach includes updating to java 5.0 update 6 or later, java 1.4.2_11 or later, and java 1.3.1_19 or later versions where the security restrictions have been properly implemented. Additional protective measures include configuring java security managers with strict policy files that explicitly deny cross-applet data access and implementing network-level restrictions that prevent the execution of untrusted java applets. Organizations should also consider transitioning away from java applet technology to modern web technologies that provide better security isolation and control mechanisms.