CVE-2011-0814 in JRE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 6 Update 25 and earlier, 5.0 Update 29 and earlier, and 1.4.2_31 and earlier allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Sound, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-0802.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0814 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle's Java Runtime Environment that affects multiple versions of Java SE including Java 6 Update 25 and earlier, Java 5.0 Update 29 and earlier, and Java 1.4.2_31 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically relates to the Sound component of the JRE and operates as a remote attack vector that can compromise the fundamental security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2011-0802, which indicates that this represents a separate and independent security weakness within the Java sound subsystem.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves the sound subsystem within the Java Runtime Environment, which is responsible for handling audio processing and playback functionality. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate audio processing components in ways that can lead to unauthorized access to system resources, data corruption, or system disruption. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability could potentially be exploited through multiple pathways within the sound processing framework, making it particularly challenging to defend against and remediate. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of security flaws that can be leveraged to perform privilege escalation or execute arbitrary code within the context of the Java runtime environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations that deploy Java applications or use Java-based systems in their infrastructure. The ability to compromise confidentiality means that sensitive data processed through Java applications could be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties. The integrity compromise aspect suggests that attackers could potentially modify audio data or system configurations, leading to data corruption or system instability. The availability impact indicates that the vulnerability could be exploited to cause denial of service conditions, disrupting legitimate system operations and potentially making applications unavailable to authorized users. The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across all systems running affected Java versions, particularly those that process audio or multimedia content through Java applications.
Security professionals should approach mitigation of this vulnerability through immediate patch management procedures, ensuring that all affected systems are updated to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses "Improper Access to Unallocated or Uninitialized Memory" and CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation" as potential underlying causes for sound component vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability, particularly in environments where Java applications process multimedia content. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched systems to ensure that the vulnerability is properly addressed without introducing compatibility issues with existing Java applications. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability, as the attack vectors may be difficult to identify without proper detection mechanisms in place.