CVE-2010-3544 in Sun Products Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle iPlanet Web Server (Sun Java System Web Server) component in Oracle Sun Products Suite 7.0 allows remote attackers to affect integrity and availability via unknown vectors related to Administration. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the October 2010 CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from a reliable source that this is cross-site request forgery (CSRF) that allows remote attackers to stop an instance via the management console.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3544 resides within the Oracle iPlanet Web Server component of Oracle Sun Products Suite version 7.0, representing a significant security weakness in the web server's administrative functionality. This unspecified flaw falls under the broader category of web application security vulnerabilities that can compromise the integrity and availability of critical system components. The vulnerability specifically affects the administration console functionality, which serves as the primary interface for system management and configuration. Given that this issue was originally reported in the October 2010 CPU (Critical Patch Update), it represents a legacy vulnerability that has persisted for over a decade, highlighting potential gaps in long-term security maintenance and patch management processes. The ambiguity in the original description suggests that the vulnerability may have multiple attack vectors or that the full scope of the issue was not initially disclosed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability appears to be closely related to cross-site request forgery mechanisms, as indicated by the reliable source claims mentioned in the description. This CSRF susceptibility allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative functions through maliciously crafted requests that exploit the trust relationship between the web server and its administrative console. The specific attack vector involves the ability to stop an instance of the web server via the management console, which represents a severe availability compromise. The underlying flaw likely stems from insufficient validation of request origins or missing anti-CSRF tokens in administrative operations, enabling attackers to execute unauthorized administrative commands. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and may also relate to CWE-284, which covers improper access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple availability disruption to encompass potential integrity compromise of the web server configuration and operational state. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could halt critical web services, potentially causing significant business disruption and service outages. The management console exposure creates a privileged attack surface where unauthorized individuals could gain control over essential server operations, including stopping services, modifying configurations, or potentially escalating privileges within the system. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on the iPlanet Web Server for mission-critical applications, as it provides a pathway for attackers to disrupt service availability. The impact is exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability exists in the administration interface, which typically requires elevated privileges and is often accessible from external networks, making it a prime target for exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate administrative interfaces from public networks, deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block CSRF attempts, and implementation of proper authentication controls with multi-factor authentication for administrative access. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current patch levels and conducting regular security assessments of web server configurations. Security teams should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous administrative activities and unauthorized service interruptions. The issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1078, which addresses valid accounts usage for persistence and privilege escalation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of known vulnerabilities, as this vulnerability represents a classic example of how administrative interface flaws can be exploited to achieve complete service disruption and potential system compromise. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of securing management interfaces and implementing proper access controls to prevent unauthorized administrative access.