CVE-2007-2704 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE
BEA WebLogic Server 9.0 through 9.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (SSL port unavailability) by accessing a half-closed SSL socket.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2704 affects BEA WebLogic Server versions 9.0 through 9.2, representing a significant security flaw that enables remote attackers to disrupt service availability. This issue specifically targets the SSL port functionality of the application server, creating a condition where legitimate users cannot establish secure connections due to the server's inability to properly handle SSL socket states. The vulnerability resides in the server's handling of SSL connections and demonstrates a critical weakness in the secure communication protocols that organizations rely upon for protecting sensitive data transmissions. This flaw operates at the network protocol level and directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad, potentially allowing attackers to render critical services inaccessible to authorized users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of SSL socket states within the WebLogic Server's secure communication framework. When an attacker establishes an SSL connection and subsequently closes it in a half-closed state, the server fails to properly manage this connection termination process. This results in the SSL port becoming unresponsive and unavailable for new connections, effectively creating a denial of service condition. The flaw is particularly insidious because it leverages legitimate SSL protocol behavior to create an abnormal server state that cannot be easily recovered from without manual intervention. The vulnerability manifests through a specific sequence where the server maintains references to half-closed connections in its connection pool, preventing proper resource cleanup and port reuse. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-119 which addresses memory corruption issues, though the specific manifestation here relates to improper resource management in network protocols.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-2704 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise business continuity and customer confidence in the affected systems. Organizations relying on WebLogic Server for critical applications face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited, as it can render their secure communication channels completely unusable. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any remote attacker with network connectivity to the target server. This vulnerability can be exploited as part of broader attack campaigns targeting enterprise infrastructure, where attackers may use it as a preliminary step to gain access to other system components. The service disruption affects all SSL-based applications hosted on the vulnerable WebLogic instances, potentially impacting financial transactions, user authentication systems, and other critical secure communications that organizations depend upon for daily operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch application from Oracle, as the official fix addresses the underlying SSL socket management issue in the WebLogic Server implementation. Organizations should also implement network-level controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual SSL connection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing connection pooling limits and connection timeout configurations to reduce the window of opportunity for exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper SSL/TLS protocol implementation and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of secure communication channels. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques related to service disruption and resource exhaustion, potentially enabling attackers to progress toward more sophisticated attacks. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their application server configurations to identify similar issues that may exist in other components of their infrastructure, as this type of resource management flaw can occur in various network protocol implementations across different software platforms.