CVE-2014-6513 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u81, 7u67, and 8u20, and Java SE Embedded 7u60, allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to AWT.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6513 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded platforms affecting multiple version streams including Java SE 6u81, 7u67, 8u20, and Java SE Embedded 7u60. This vulnerability resides within the Abstract Window Toolkit component of the Java runtime environment and manifests as an unspecified weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system security. The affected AWT subsystem serves as a fundamental graphical user interface framework for Java applications, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged across various attack vectors that target the graphical components of Java applications. The vulnerability's classification under the broader category of Java security flaws indicates its potential to impact numerous enterprise applications and systems that rely on Java for their operational functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from weaknesses within the AWT implementation that allows attackers to manipulate or corrupt data through unspecified vectors related to graphical user interface components. This flaw specifically affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability aspects of affected systems, representing a severe triad of security impacts that can be exploited simultaneously. The AWT subsystem's handling of graphical objects, event processing, and window management creates potential attack surfaces where malicious inputs can be injected to cause unauthorized data access, data corruption, or system disruption. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that multiple attack paths may exist within the AWT implementation, potentially including buffer overflows, memory corruption issues, or improper input validation mechanisms within the graphical components. This weakness aligns with common software security vulnerabilities categorized under CWE-119 (Improper Access to Memory) and CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow) in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6513 extends beyond simple data compromise to potentially enable complete system control by malicious actors. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, modify system configurations, or cause denial of service conditions that can severely impact business operations. The widespread adoption of Java SE across enterprise environments means that systems utilizing affected versions could be compromised, leading to data breaches, service interruptions, and potential regulatory compliance violations. Organizations running web applications, desktop applications, or embedded systems that utilize Java SE components are particularly vulnerable to exploitation of this flaw. The availability impact specifically threatens system stability and can result in application crashes or complete system shutdowns, while the confidentiality and integrity impacts can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information and data manipulation. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Java applications process untrusted input or where users can interact with graphical components through web interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6513 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with Oracle's security updates, which typically address the underlying AWT implementation flaws through code modifications and input validation improvements. Organizations should implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to Java applications, particularly those handling untrusted input from external sources. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, including unusual memory usage patterns or unexpected graphical component interactions. The implementation of application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques can further reduce the attack surface by limiting the execution scope of potentially vulnerable Java applications. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary Java applets and browser plugins that might expose the AWT subsystem to external threats, as these components often represent the primary attack vectors for this type of vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems that may still be running affected versions, while adherence to security frameworks such as those outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix for Java-related threats can help establish comprehensive defensive strategies. The vulnerability's nature also suggests that organizations should review their Java application security practices and ensure proper input validation and memory management techniques are implemented across all Java-based applications to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.