CVE-2014-4263 in WebSphere DataPower XC10
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 5.0u65, 6u75, 7u60, and 8u5, and JRockit R27.8.2 and R28.3.2, allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via unknown vectors related to "Diffie-Hellman key agreement."
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4263 represents a critical security flaw affecting multiple versions of Oracle Java SE and JRockit runtime environments. This weakness resides within the Diffie-Hellman key agreement implementation, which forms a fundamental component of secure communications protocols. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that attackers can exploit various pathways to compromise the cryptographic integrity of Java applications. The affected versions include Java SE 5.0u65, 6u75, 7u60, and 8u5, alongside JRockit versions R27.8.2 and R28.3.2, indicating a widespread impact across Oracle's Java ecosystem. The vulnerability specifically targets the confidentiality and integrity aspects of data transmission, making it particularly dangerous for applications relying on secure communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of Diffie-Hellman key exchange operations within Oracle's Java implementation. This cryptographic weakness allows remote attackers to potentially manipulate or intercept secure communications without proper authorization. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can compromise the fundamental security guarantees that Diffie-Hellman key agreement is designed to provide. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, decrypt sensitive communications, or modify data during transmission. The nature of the vulnerability suggests that it may involve improper validation of cryptographic parameters or weak key generation processes that undermine the mathematical foundations of the Diffie-Hellman algorithm. This weakness directly violates the principles of secure key exchange that are essential for maintaining trust in digital communications.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4263 is substantial across enterprise environments that rely on Oracle Java applications for secure communications. Systems utilizing affected Java versions may experience unauthorized data access, modification of critical information, and potential breaches of sensitive communication channels. Organizations running web applications, enterprise software, and any system that depends on secure network communications are at risk of exposure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to systems, significantly expanding the attack surface. Applications that implement SSL/TLS protocols, secure web services, and encrypted data transmission are particularly vulnerable. The compromise of confidentiality and integrity can lead to regulatory violations, financial losses, and damage to organizational reputation, especially in industries governed by compliance frameworks such as pci dss and hipaa.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4263 primarily involve immediate patching of affected Oracle Java installations to the latest available versions. Organizations should prioritize updating their Java runtime environments to versions that contain fixes for the Diffie-Hellman key agreement implementation. System administrators should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all affected systems and apply patches promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns, and reviewing cryptographic configurations. Security teams should consider disabling vulnerable cryptographic protocols until patches are applied, particularly when using older Java versions that cannot be immediately updated. The vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the mitre attack framework, specifically relating to cryptographic attacks and credential theft. Organizations should also implement proper security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling potential compromises. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining systems that may be exposed to similar cryptographic weaknesses.