CVE-2014-3068 in Java
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 7 R1 before SR1 FP1 (7.1.1.1), 7 before SR7 FP1 (7.0.7.1), 6 R1 before SR8 FP1 (6.1.8.1), 6 before SR16 FP1 (6.0.16.1), and before 5.0 SR16 FP7 (5.0.16.7) allows attackers to obtain the private key from a Certificate Management System (CMS) keystore via a brute force attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3068 represents a critical cryptographic weakness in IBM Java Runtime Environment versions prior to specific service releases. This flaw affects multiple major versions including JRE 7, 6, and 5, specifically targeting the Certificate Management System keystore functionality that handles private key storage and management. The vulnerability stems from insufficient entropy and predictable random number generation during the keystore creation process, making it susceptible to brute force attacks that can recover private keys used for SSL/TLS certificate management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves weaknesses in the cryptographic random number generator used by IBM JRE when creating CMS keystores. According to CWE-330, this represents a weakness in entropy sources where the random number generation does not provide sufficient unpredictability for cryptographic key generation. The flaw allows attackers to systematically guess or compute the private keys stored within the keystore through brute force techniques, effectively compromising the entire certificate management infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of cryptographic operations within the affected Java environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3068 extends far beyond simple credential theft, as compromised private keys can enable attackers to impersonate legitimate services, decrypt sensitive communications, and establish persistent backdoors within network infrastructures. The vulnerability affects organizations using IBM JRE for web servers, application servers, and any systems requiring secure certificate management. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1552.004 (Credentials in Keyspaces) and T1552.001 (Credentials in Files), as attackers can extract cryptographic keys from the CMS keystore. The attack surface includes any system where IBM JRE is used for certificate management, particularly web applications, enterprise servers, and secure communication platforms.
Organizations should immediately apply the relevant IBM service packs and fix packs to address this vulnerability, with specific releases including SR1 FP1 for JRE 7 R1, SR7 FP1 for JRE 7, SR8 FP1 for JRE 6 R1, SR16 FP1 for JRE 6, and SR16 FP7 for JRE 5. The mitigation strategy requires comprehensive inventory assessment of all systems running affected IBM JRE versions, followed by immediate patch deployment and private key rotation for all compromised certificates. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to certificate management systems and establish procedures for rapid response to potential key compromise incidents. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic implementations and highlights the risks associated with insufficient entropy in security-critical applications.