CVE-2010-3553 in Java
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Swing component in Oracle Java SE and Java for Business 6 Update 21, 5.0 Update 25, 1.4.2_27, and 1.3.1_28 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the October 2010 CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from a reliable downstream vendor that this is related to unsafe reflection involving the UIDefault.ProxyLazyValue class.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3553 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE and Java for Business versions, specifically affecting Java 6 Update 21, Java 5.0 Update 25, and older versions including Java 1.4.2_27 and 1.3.1_28. This unspecified weakness resides within the Swing component framework, which forms a fundamental part of Java's graphical user interface capabilities. The vulnerability's severity is underscored by its potential to compromise all three core security principles: confidentiality through data exposure, integrity via data modification, and availability through system disruption. The lack of detailed information in the initial description suggests this may have been a zero-day vulnerability that was not fully disclosed at the time of the October 2010 CPU release, leaving security professionals to work with limited technical details about the precise attack vectors available to threat actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability appears to be connected to unsafe reflection mechanisms within the UIDefault.ProxyLazyValue class, as indicated by downstream vendor reports. This connection places the vulnerability within the purview of CWE-471, which addresses the use of an incorrect operator in a security-relevant comparison, and potentially CWE-470, dealing with the use of insecure functions that could enable reflection-based attacks. The ProxyLazyValue class is designed to defer the creation of objects until they are actually needed, but when combined with unsafe reflection practices, it creates opportunities for malicious code to manipulate the object creation process. The vulnerability likely allows attackers to manipulate the reflection mechanisms used by Swing components to instantiate UI elements, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or bypassing security restrictions that should normally prevent such operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3553 extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios, as it affects the core Java runtime environment that powers countless applications across enterprise and consumer platforms. When exploited, this vulnerability could allow remote attackers to compromise systems running affected Java versions without requiring local access or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. The implications for organizations using legacy Java applications are severe, as many systems may not have been updated to newer Java versions that address this flaw. This vulnerability would particularly impact web applications that utilize Java applets or server-side Java components, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, modify application behavior, or cause denial of service conditions that could disrupt business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3553 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Java installations to the latest available versions that contain fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks and users. The use of Java security managers and restricted execution environments can help reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts, though these measures are not foolproof against sophisticated attacks. System administrators should monitor for unusual network traffic patterns or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, and implement comprehensive logging to track any unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected Java versions and establish processes for regular security updates and patch management. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows Scripting and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution highlights the need for layered defensive measures including endpoint protection, network monitoring, and application whitelisting to prevent exploitation of this reflection-based vulnerability.