CVE-2008-3105 in JRE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the JAX-WS client and service in Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in JDK and JRE 6 Update 6 and earlier allows remote attackers to access URLs or cause a denial of service via unknown vectors involving "processing of XML data" by a trusted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3105 represents a critical security flaw within the Java Runtime Environment's JAX-WS implementation that affects JDK and JRE 6 Update 6 and earlier versions. This issue resides in the processing of XML data within trusted applications, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by remote adversaries. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that multiple attack paths may exist, making the flaw particularly concerning for security professionals who must account for various potential exploitation techniques. The vulnerability specifically impacts the JAX-WS client and service components, which are fundamental parts of Java's web services infrastructure used extensively in enterprise applications for communication between distributed systems.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in how the JAX-WS implementation handles XML data processing within the Java runtime environment. When applications utilize JAX-WS for web service communication, they rely on the underlying XML processing capabilities to parse and handle data exchanges. The flaw manifests during the XML data processing phase where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize incoming XML content, potentially allowing maliciously crafted XML payloads to trigger unexpected behavior. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate the XML processing pipeline in ways that could lead to unauthorized access to URLs or system resources, or alternatively cause denial of service conditions that disrupt legitimate operations. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data corruption as it affects the fundamental XML parsing mechanisms that are critical to web service functionality across numerous Java applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations that rely on Java-based web services and applications. The potential for remote code execution or unauthorized access to sensitive URL resources means that attackers could gain access to internal systems or data that should remain protected. The denial of service component of the vulnerability could be particularly damaging in production environments where web services availability is critical for business operations. Organizations using affected JRE versions may experience service interruptions, data breaches, or unauthorized access to their web service endpoints. The vulnerability affects a broad range of applications that depend on JAX-WS functionality, including enterprise applications, web portals, and distributed systems that communicate via SOAP web services, making the potential impact widespread across various industries and deployment scenarios.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3105 primarily focus on immediate patching and application hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating to JDK and JRE 6 Update 7 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed through Oracle's security patches. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to JAX-WS endpoints, particularly those exposed to untrusted networks. Additionally, input validation should be enhanced at application layers to sanitize XML data before processing, although this represents a secondary mitigation approach since the vulnerability occurs at the core XML processing level. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving service execution and privilege escalation through application vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of affected JRE versions within the organization's infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all potentially vulnerable systems.