CVE-2015-4760 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u95, 7u80, and 8u45 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to 2D.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4760 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE versions 6u95, 7u80, and 8u45 that resides in the 2D graphics subsystem. This unspecified weakness falls under the broader category of Java runtime environment vulnerabilities that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors without requiring authentication or prior access to the system. The affected 2D graphics components within Oracle Java SE provide rendering capabilities for various graphical operations including image processing, drawing operations, and graphical user interface elements that applications utilize for visual presentation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of graphics-related data structures and rendering operations within the Java 2D API implementation. Attackers can potentially exploit this flaw through crafted input data that manipulates the graphics processing pipeline, leading to unexpected behavior that may result in arbitrary code execution or system compromise. The vulnerability's classification as affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability indicates that successful exploitation could enable attackers to access sensitive data, modify system resources, or disrupt service availability. This three-pronged impact aligns with common attack vectors that leverage memory corruption vulnerabilities in graphics libraries.
From an operational perspective, systems running affected Java versions face significant risk exposure, particularly in enterprise environments where Java applications are extensively deployed for web services, desktop applications, and server-side processing. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target vulnerable systems from external networks without requiring physical access or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a specially crafted document. The widespread adoption of Java SE across various platforms and applications amplifies the potential impact, as organizations may have numerous endpoints and servers that could be affected by this vulnerability. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple major Java versions simultaneously, indicating a fundamental flaw in the graphics processing implementation rather than a localized issue.
Organizations should immediately prioritize patching affected systems with the latest Oracle Java SE updates that address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive vulnerability assessment across all systems running the affected Java versions, followed by coordinated patch deployment. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability may be used in targeted attacks against specific organizations. The remediation process should involve thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that Java applications continue to function correctly while eliminating the security risk. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to prepare for potential exploitation attempts and establish monitoring protocols for detecting unauthorized access or system compromise related to this vulnerability. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential impact that graphics-related components can have on overall system security posture.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which describes weaknesses in memory handling and buffer management, and may also relate to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and code execution through software exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, sandboxing, and network-based intrusion detection systems to provide defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potentially affected components within the Java runtime environment and ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities.