CVE-2010-0738 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
The JMX-Console web application in JBossAs in Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (aka JBoss EAP or JBEAP) 4.2 before 4.2.0.CP09 and 4.3 before 4.3.0.CP08 performs access control only for the GET and POST methods, which allows remote attackers to send requests to this application's GET handler by using a different method.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0738 represents a critical access control flaw within the JMX-Console web application component of Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform versions 4.2.0.CP08 and earlier, as well as 4.3.0.CP07 and earlier. This issue stems from the incomplete implementation of security controls that only enforce access restrictions for specific HTTP methods, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to bypass authentication mechanisms. The JMX-Console serves as a management interface for JBoss Application Server, providing administrators with access to various system monitoring and configuration capabilities through a web-based interface.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's insufficient access control implementation where the security checks are selectively applied only to GET and POST HTTP methods while neglecting other HTTP methods such as PUT, DELETE, HEAD, or OPTIONS. This partial access control enforcement creates a dangerous gap in the security model that allows malicious actors to craft requests using alternative HTTP methods to bypass the authentication layer. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests using non-standard HTTP methods that are not properly validated, effectively circumventing the intended access restrictions that should protect the management console from unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables remote attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or manipulate system configurations through the JMX-Console interface. Since JMX-Console provides access to critical system management functions including deployment operations, configuration changes, and monitoring capabilities, successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where JBoss EAP is deployed in production environments without proper network segmentation or additional security controls, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to enterprise application servers.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 related to valid accounts and privilege escalation. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of incomplete input validation where the application assumes that all HTTP methods will be properly authenticated, creating a security boundary that can be easily circumvented. Organizations running affected versions of JBoss EAP should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches that implement proper access control enforcement across all HTTP methods, ensuring that authentication checks are consistently applied regardless of the request method used. Additionally, network segmentation strategies should be implemented to limit direct access to management interfaces, and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for unusual HTTP method usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.