CVE-2016-3427 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u113, 7u99, and 8u77; Java SE Embedded 8u77; and JRockit R28.3.9 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to JMX.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3427 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded platforms affecting multiple versions including Java SE 6u113, 7u99, 8u77, Java SE Embedded 8u77, and JRockit R28.3.9. This issue resides within the Java Management Extensions framework which serves as a crucial monitoring and management interface for Java applications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates a fundamental weakness in the JMX implementation that could potentially be exploited by remote attackers to compromise the security posture of affected systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability aspects of the targeted systems, representing a complete compromise of the security triad that forms the foundation of information security.
The technical flaw manifests within the Java Management Extensions component which provides administrative capabilities for monitoring and managing Java applications. This vulnerability likely stems from improper input validation or insufficient access controls within the JMX subsystem that allows attackers to manipulate management interfaces remotely. The JMX framework typically exposes various management operations through standardized interfaces such as MBean servers and connectors, and the flaw could enable unauthorized access to these management functions. This vulnerability falls under the category of weak access control mechanisms and improper input validation, aligning with CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-20 for improper input validation. The attack surface is particularly concerning as JMX interfaces are often exposed over network connections and may be accessible from untrusted networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data compromise, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected Java applications through the management interfaces. Remote attackers could potentially modify application configurations, extract sensitive data from management beans, or even disrupt application availability through malicious management operations. The confidentiality impact means that sensitive information accessible through JMX interfaces could be exposed to unauthorized parties, while the integrity impact allows for modification of application state and configuration settings. The availability impact could be severe as attackers might be able to terminate application processes or disable critical management functions. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as attackers could leverage JMX interfaces to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges within the Java application environment.
Organizations running affected Java versions should implement immediate mitigation strategies including network segmentation to isolate JMX interfaces from untrusted networks, implementing strong authentication and authorization mechanisms for JMX access, and applying the latest security patches from Oracle. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of keeping Java installations up to date, as the affected versions represent outdated releases that no longer receive security updates. Security teams should also conduct thorough network scans to identify exposed JMX interfaces and implement monitoring for suspicious management operations. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling JMX interfaces entirely if they are not required for operations, as this represents the most effective defense against this class of vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that security updates do not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications while maintaining the necessary security controls to protect against this specific threat vector.