CVE-2016-0402 in Java SE
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Java SE and Java SE Embedded components in Oracle Java SE 6u105, 7u91, and 8u66 and Java SE Embedded 8u65 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Networking.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0402 resides within Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded components affecting versions 6u105, 7u91, 8u66, and 8u65 respectively. This issue represents a significant security weakness in the networking subsystem of these java runtime environments that could potentially be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical details of the flaw were not fully disclosed in the initial advisory, leaving security professionals to conduct their own analysis to understand the precise attack vectors and exploitation mechanisms.
The networking component in question serves as a critical interface for java applications to communicate over network protocols, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to manipulate data integrity. This particular vulnerability allows remote adversaries to potentially alter or corrupt data that flows through the java networking stack without proper authentication or authorization mechanisms. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability's impact suggests that it could affect multiple aspects of network communication including data transmission, protocol handling, or connection management processes within the java runtime environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise environments where java applications are extensively deployed for network communications. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers could potentially compromise systems from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for applications that handle sensitive data or operate in regulated environments. The integrity impact implies that while the vulnerability may not necessarily enable complete system compromise or privilege escalation, it could allow attackers to modify data in transit or manipulate network communications in ways that could lead to broader security incidents.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across all java applications that utilize the affected networking components, particularly those handling external communications or data transfers. This includes web applications, enterprise services, and embedded systems that rely on java for network operations. Organizations running these vulnerable versions of java are exposed to potential data manipulation attacks that could compromise the reliability and trustworthiness of network communications. The vulnerability's presence in both standard java se and embedded versions indicates that it affects a broad range of deployment scenarios from desktop applications to specialized embedded systems.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the broader attack landscape where network integrity is increasingly critical for maintaining system trust. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a network protocol manipulation technique where adversaries exploit weaknesses in communication stacks to alter data flow. Organizations should prioritize patching efforts to upgrade to versions that contain the necessary security fixes, while also implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The CWE database would likely classify this under networking protocol vulnerabilities where integrity controls are insufficiently enforced during data transmission processes.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Oracle's security patches for the affected java versions, along with network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems. Additional controls such as intrusion detection systems, network traffic monitoring, and regular vulnerability assessments can help detect exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls and firewall rules to restrict unnecessary network communications that could potentially leverage this vulnerability. The remediation process should extend beyond simple patching to include comprehensive security assessments of java applications and their network dependencies to ensure complete protection against related attack vectors.