CVE-2008-3107 in Sun
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Virtual Machine in Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in JDK and JRE 6 before Update 7, JDK and JRE 5.0 before Update 16, and SDK and JRE 1.4.x before 1.4.2_18 allows context-dependent attackers to gain privileges via an untrusted (1) application or (2) applet, as demonstrated by an application or applet that grants itself privileges to (a) read local files, (b) write to local files, or (c) execute local programs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2019
This vulnerability resides within the Java Runtime Environment's virtual machine implementation and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that affects multiple Java versions including JDK and JRE 6 before update 7, JDK and JRE 5.0 before update 16, and SDK and JRE 1.4.x before version 1.4.2_18. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sandboxing mechanisms within the Java virtual machine that allow untrusted applications or applets to bypass security restrictions and escalate their privileges. The unspecified nature of the flaw indicates a fundamental weakness in the security model rather than a specific coding error, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially affect multiple attack vectors simultaneously.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through context-dependent attacks where malicious applications or applets can manipulate the Java runtime environment to gain unauthorized access to local system resources. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute three primary malicious actions including reading local files, writing to local files, and executing local programs without proper authorization. This represents a complete breakdown of the Java security model's isolation mechanisms, allowing sandboxed code to escape its restricted environment and gain system-level privileges. The vulnerability directly impacts the Java security architecture by undermining the principle of least privilege and enabling arbitrary code execution within the victim's system context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments where Java applications are commonly deployed, particularly in web applications that utilize Java applets. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full system compromise, as attackers can leverage the privilege escalation to install malware, modify system files, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability affects both desktop and server environments, making it particularly dangerous in corporate settings where Java applets might be used for internal applications or where users browse untrusted websites that could host malicious applets. The exploitation requires minimal prerequisites since it targets the fundamental security architecture of the Java platform rather than specific application vulnerabilities.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-264, which describes permissions, privileges, and access control issues in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and execution of malicious code. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches from Oracle, disabling Java applet execution in web browsers, and implementing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. Additional defensive measures include configuring Java security policies to restrict file system access, monitoring for suspicious Java process behavior, and conducting regular security assessments of Java-based applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing layered security approaches to protect against zero-day exploits that target fundamental platform components.