CVE-2015-4733 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u95, 7u80, and 8u45, and Java SE Embedded 7u75 and 8u33 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to RMI.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4733 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded versions, specifically affecting Java 6u95, 7u80, 8u45, and their embedded counterparts 7u75 and 8u33. This weakness resides within the Remote Method Invocation (RMI) subsystem of the Java Runtime Environment, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by remote adversaries to compromise system integrity and confidentiality. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, but its classification suggests a fundamental flaw in how RMI processes remote communications, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate or intercept data exchanges between Java applications.
The technical implementation of RMI within Oracle Java SE creates a distributed computing framework that enables objects to execute methods on remote Java Virtual Machines. This vulnerability exploits the underlying RMI infrastructure to potentially allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of system resources, or disruption of service availability. The flaw's impact extends across multiple Java versions, indicating a widespread issue within the RMI implementation that affects both desktop and embedded Java deployments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, data tampering, or service disruption without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on Java-based applications and services that utilize RMI for distributed computing. The potential for confidentiality breaches means that sensitive data transmitted through RMI connections could be intercepted or modified by attackers. Integrity concerns arise from the possibility of malicious actors manipulating data or system states during remote method execution, while availability risks include potential denial-of-service conditions that could disrupt legitimate business operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from external networks, eliminating the need for physical access or local network presence, which significantly increases the attack surface and threat exposure.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Java installations to mitigate this vulnerability, as Oracle released security updates specifically addressing this issue in their regular security bulletins. System administrators must ensure that all Java SE and Java SE Embedded installations are updated to versions that contain the necessary security fixes, with particular attention to embedded systems that may have slower update cycles. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to limit unnecessary RMI traffic, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious RMI activity patterns. The vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack technique matrix, particularly those involving remote code execution and data manipulation through network-based services. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as network intrusion detection systems and regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the risks associated with legacy Java installations in enterprise environments.