CVE-2010-2548 in IcedTea6
Summary
by MITRE
IcedTea6 before 1.7.4 does not properly check property access, which allows unsigned apps to read and write arbitrary files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2548 affects IcedTea6 versions prior to 1.7.4 and represents a critical security flaw in the Java runtime environment implementation. This issue stems from insufficient property access validation mechanisms within the IcedTea6 runtime, which is a free software implementation of the java platform based on the openjdk source code. The vulnerability specifically targets the security model that governs how unsigned applets and applications interact with the local file system and system properties.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper validation of property access controls that should normally prevent unsigned applications from directly accessing or manipulating system resources. When unsigned applets attempt to read or write files through the java security model, the vulnerability allows them to bypass the standard sandbox restrictions that typically protect the local file system from unauthorized access. This occurs because the property access checking mechanisms fail to properly verify whether the requesting application has adequate permissions to perform the requested file operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within environments that utilize IcedTea6 as their Java runtime implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary file read and write operations on systems running vulnerable versions of IcedTea6, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security principles of the Java sandbox model and allows malicious unsigned applets to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system files, configuration data, and user information. This risk is particularly significant in enterprise environments where users may unknowingly interact with malicious web content or applets that exploit this vulnerability.
The security implications extend beyond simple file access violations as this vulnerability can enable attackers to escalate privileges and potentially achieve complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates how insufficient sandbox enforcement can create dangerous attack vectors. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques described in the ATT&CK matrix under privilege escalation and persistence tactics, as attackers can use the arbitrary file access capabilities to install malicious software or maintain access to compromised systems. Organizations using IcedTea6 in production environments should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to version 1.7.4 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Additionally, administrators should review and tighten security policies around applet execution, disable unsigned applet execution where possible, and implement network-level controls to prevent access to potentially malicious content that could exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of applications to ensure compatibility with the patched version while maintaining the security posture against this specific file access bypass vulnerability.