CVE-2016-0453 in GlassFish Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle GlassFish Server component in Oracle Fusion Middleware 3.1.2 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Embedded Server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0453 affects Oracle GlassFish Server version 3.1.2 within the Oracle Fusion Middleware suite, representing a significant security weakness that could compromise system integrity. This issue resides within the Embedded Server functionality of the GlassFish Server component, which serves as a lightweight application server for deploying and managing web applications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, though it is classified as affecting integrity rather than confidentiality or availability, suggesting potential manipulation of data or system state. The vulnerability's classification as remote indicates that attackers can exploit it without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The technical flaw manifests within the Embedded Server module of Oracle GlassFish Server, which is designed to provide a simplified deployment environment for applications. This embedded functionality typically handles HTTP requests, manages application lifecycle, and processes web content, making it a critical component for web application delivery. The vulnerability's impact on integrity suggests that malicious actors could potentially modify data, alter application behavior, or manipulate system configurations through the affected Embedded Server component. The unspecified vectors indicate that the attack surface may involve multiple pathways including protocol handling, memory management, or input validation mechanisms within the server's core processing functions.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware 3.1.2 deployments, as it could enable attackers to compromise the integrity of deployed applications and data within the GlassFish environment. The remote exploit capability means that attackers could potentially manipulate web applications, alter configuration settings, or corrupt data without requiring local system access, which significantly expands the potential attack surface. Organizations with distributed deployments or those exposing their GlassFish servers to untrusted networks would face heightened risk, as the vulnerability could be leveraged to undermine the trustworthiness of application data and system configurations. The embedded nature of the server component also implies that the vulnerability might affect multiple applications running within the same server instance, potentially amplifying the impact across the entire application portfolio.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the Common Weakness Enumeration standard, where such integrity-related issues typically map to weaknesses in data integrity validation or system state management. The ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under the 'Persistence' and 'Privilege Escalation' tactics, as attackers could potentially establish persistent access or elevate privileges through integrity compromises. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying Oracle's security patches, implementing network segmentation to limit access to GlassFish servers, and conducting thorough security assessments of their middleware environments. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns and implementing robust application integrity checks would help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and the risks associated with legacy middleware deployments in enterprise environments.