CVE-2015-0408 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 5.0u75, 6u85, 7u72, and 8u25 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to RMI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0408 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE implementations across multiple versions including Java 5.0u75, 6u85, 7u72, and 8u25. This vulnerability specifically affects the Remote Method Invocation (RMI) component of the Java platform, which is a core distributed computing feature that enables objects to invoke methods on remote Java Virtual Machines. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, though its classification as affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability demonstrates a severe impact potential that aligns with CWE-119 which addresses memory safety issues and improper access to resources. The RMI subsystem in Oracle Java SE serves as a fundamental building block for distributed applications, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to compromise entire distributed systems through a single attack vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data compromise, as it affects all three pillars of information security. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, modify critical system components, or disrupt service availability through denial-of-service conditions. The remote attack vector means that adversaries do not require physical access to target systems and can exploit the flaw from anywhere on the network, making it particularly attractive to threat actors. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where Java-based applications are deployed extensively, as RMI is commonly used in enterprise applications for inter-process communication, web services, and distributed computing scenarios. The attack surface is further expanded due to the widespread adoption of these Java versions across various organizational infrastructures, creating a substantial risk profile that could affect hundreds of thousands of systems globally.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as part of the broader ATT&CK framework's initial access and execution phases, where attackers leverage remote code execution capabilities to establish footholds within target environments. The remediation strategy for CVE-2015-0408 requires immediate patching of affected Java installations to the latest available versions, as Oracle would have released security updates addressing this specific RMI vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit RMI traffic exposure and consider disabling RMI functionality where it is not strictly required for business operations. The vulnerability's classification as affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability aligns with the CIA triad principles and demonstrates the comprehensive nature of the threat, requiring organizations to adopt layered security approaches that include both preventive measures and monitoring capabilities to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify any remaining RMI-based services that might be vulnerable to similar attacks, ensuring that the entire Java ecosystem remains secure against evolving threat landscapes.