CVE-2007-3262 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Default Messaging Component in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1.0.7 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service related to a thread hang, and possibly related to a "TCP issue," or to MPAlarmThread and a resultant memory leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3262 resides within the Default Messaging Component of IBM WebSphere Application Server version 6.1.0.7 and earlier releases. This flaw represents a significant security concern as it affects the core messaging infrastructure that many enterprise applications depend upon for reliable communication between distributed components. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified mechanisms that can be exploited remotely, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where availability and reliability are paramount. The affected component's failure to properly handle certain messaging scenarios creates opportunities for attackers to disrupt normal operations through various attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves thread hang conditions that can occur within the messaging subsystem, specifically impacting the MPAlarmThread functionality. When these thread hang conditions occur, they can lead to cascading failures throughout the application server's messaging infrastructure. The vulnerability's potential to cause memory leaks through the MPAlarmThread indicates that the system's resource management mechanisms are compromised, allowing for progressive degradation of system performance. Additionally, the reference to TCP issues suggests that the vulnerability may extend to network protocol handling within the messaging component, potentially affecting connection stability and data transmission integrity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise system stability and resource availability. Thread hangs can cause the application server to become unresponsive to legitimate requests while simultaneously consuming system resources that could be used for legitimate operations. Memory leaks resulting from the MPAlarmThread malfunction can lead to progressive performance degradation over time, eventually causing system crashes or requiring forced restarts that disrupt business operations. The remote exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers can potentially target these systems from outside the organization's network perimeter, making the attack surface significantly larger than local exploit scenarios.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through IBM's security patches and updates specifically designed to address the messaging component flaws. The recommended approach involves upgrading to IBM WebSphere Application Server versions that contain fixes for the identified thread management and memory handling issues. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual thread behavior or memory consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-472 Unprotected Primary Resource and CWE-400 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, reflecting the core issues of thread management and memory allocation that enable the attack vectors. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 Network Denial of Service, as it enables attackers to disrupt network-based messaging services through resource exhaustion and thread manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable messaging components to untrusted networks while maintaining proper logging and alerting mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts.