CVE-2015-0488 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 5.0u81, 6u91, 7u76, and 8u40, and JRockit R28.3.5, allows remote attackers to affect availability via vectors related to JSSE.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0488 represents a significant security weakness within Oracle Java SE and JRockit runtime environments that affects multiple versions including Java 5.0u81, 6u91, 7u76, 8u40 and JRockit R28.3.5. This issue resides within the Java Secure Socket Extension component which governs secure communications and cryptographic operations in Java applications. The vulnerability specifically impacts the availability aspect of system operations rather than confidentiality or integrity, making it particularly dangerous for services that rely on consistent availability. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, this vulnerability maps to CWE-119 which describes weaknesses related to improper restriction of operations within a limited scope, often manifesting as buffer overflows or memory corruption issues that can lead to denial of service conditions.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors related to JSSE implementation where remote attackers can exploit the vulnerability to disrupt service availability. This typically occurs when malicious inputs are processed through the SSL/TLS handshake mechanisms or certificate validation procedures within the Java Secure Socket Extension. Attackers can potentially trigger memory corruption or resource exhaustion conditions that cause the Java Virtual Machine to crash or become unresponsive, thereby rendering applications unavailable to legitimate users. The exploitation requires network access to the target system and can be executed without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where Java applications are exposed to external traffic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire application infrastructures that depend on Java-based secure communications. Organizations running web applications, enterprise services, or any system utilizing Java's SSL/TLS capabilities may experience significant downtime and service degradation when this vulnerability is exploited. The vulnerability affects systems where Java applications handle secure connections, including but not limited to web servers, application servers, and backend services that require encrypted communication channels. Security teams must consider the potential for cascading failures when evaluating the risk of this vulnerability, as system outages can propagate across interconnected services and potentially impact business continuity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0488 should focus on immediate patch management and system hardening measures. Organizations must prioritize updating their Java installations to the latest patched versions released by Oracle, which address the specific JSSE implementation issues that enable this availability attack. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable Java applications to untrusted networks. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in SSL/TLS handshake failures or connection drops that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under the 'Execution' and 'Persistence' phases, indicating that exploitation can lead to broader system compromise if not properly mitigated through network controls and regular security updates. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious SSL/TLS traffic patterns associated with known exploitation techniques for this vulnerability class.