CVE-2010-0770 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.0 before 6.0.2.41, 6.1 before 6.1.0.31, and 7.0 before 7.0.0.9 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (ORB ListenerThread hang) by aborting an SSL handshake.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0770 affects IBM WebSphere Application Server versions prior to specific patch levels, creating a significant security risk that impacts the availability of critical enterprise applications. This issue resides within the Object Request Broker (ORB) component of the application server, which serves as the core communication framework for distributed object interactions. The flaw specifically manifests when the server encounters improperly terminated SSL handshakes, leading to a condition where the ORB ListenerThread becomes unresponsive and hangs indefinitely. This behavior represents a classic denial of service scenario that can severely impact business operations and application availability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient error handling mechanisms within the SSL handshake processing code of the ORB implementation. When an authenticated user initiates an SSL connection and subsequently aborts the handshake process before completion, the server fails to properly clean up the associated thread resources. This improper resource management leads to the ORB ListenerThread becoming blocked in an indefinite wait state, effectively rendering the server incapable of processing additional requests through that particular communication channel. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level, specifically targeting the secure communication layer that IBM WebSphere Application Server relies upon for establishing encrypted connections between clients and application servers. The issue is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to exploit, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can potentially disrupt service availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the overall stability and reliability of enterprise applications hosted on affected WebSphere instances. Organizations relying on WebSphere Application Server for mission-critical applications face significant risks when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as the hanging ORB ListenerThread can cascade into broader system performance degradation and potential application downtime. The vulnerability affects multiple major versions of the application server, including the widely deployed 6.0, 6.1, and 7.0 releases, making it a substantial concern for enterprise environments that maintain legacy systems. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," and represents a specific instance where improper resource management leads to denial of service conditions. The attack vector requires only authenticated access, which means that internal threat actors or compromised legitimate accounts could exploit this weakness to cause service disruption.
Organizations should implement immediate remediation strategies to address this vulnerability, primarily focusing on applying the appropriate IBM security patches that were released to correct the ORB thread management issues. The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to the patched versions of IBM WebSphere Application Server, specifically versions 6.0.2.41, 6.1.0.31, and 7.0.0.9, which contain the necessary fixes for proper SSL handshake termination handling. Additionally, network-level monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of SSL connection terminations that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing access controls and monitoring for SSL handshake aborts as part of their operational security practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" to prevent unauthorized users from leveraging this vulnerability. The incident response procedures should include specific protocols for identifying and recovering from ORB ListenerThread hangs, ensuring that system administrators have documented procedures for restoring service availability when this vulnerability is exploited.