CVE-2010-0389 in Java System Web Server
Summary
by MITRE
The admin server in Sun Java System Web Server 7.0 Update 6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and daemon crash) via an HTTP request that lacks a method token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0389 affects the Sun Java System Web Server 7.0 Update 6 administration server component, representing a critical security flaw that can be exploited remotely to execute denial of service attacks. This vulnerability resides within the server's HTTP request processing mechanism and specifically targets the administrative interface that handles management operations for the web server instance. The flaw manifests when the administration server receives HTTP requests that lack proper method tokens, creating a condition that leads to system instability and potential daemon crashes. This issue directly impacts the availability of the administrative functions that system administrators rely upon for managing and monitoring the web server environment.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the HTTP request parser of the administration server module. When an HTTP request is received without a method token, the server's processing logic attempts to dereference a null pointer during the request handling sequence, resulting in an immediate crash of the administrative daemon process. This NULL pointer dereference represents a classic software bug pattern that falls under CWE-476, which specifically addresses null pointer dereference vulnerabilities in software systems. The absence of proper validation for HTTP method tokens creates an exploitable condition where malicious actors can craft specially formatted requests that bypass normal request parsing procedures and trigger the underlying memory access error.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the overall management capabilities of the affected web server infrastructure. System administrators who rely on the administration server for configuration changes, monitoring, and troubleshooting operations would find their management interfaces become unavailable, creating significant operational challenges during security incidents or routine maintenance activities. The daemon crash resulting from this vulnerability can lead to complete loss of administrative access to the server until manual intervention is performed to restart the affected service processes. This type of denial of service condition directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting system services, and represents a critical weakness in the server's resilience against malicious input manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the Sun Java System Web Server to the latest available update that addresses this specific NULL pointer dereference issue. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the administration server to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential remote attackers. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of administrative server requests that might indicate exploitation attempts, while implementing request rate limiting to prevent automated exploitation tools from rapidly flooding the system with malformed requests. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and error handling in server applications, emphasizing that all external inputs must be rigorously validated before processing to prevent similar memory corruption issues from occurring in production environments.