CVE-2016-9585 in JBoss EAP
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat JBoss EAP version 5 is vulnerable to a deserialization of untrusted data in the JMX endpoint when deserializes the credentials passed to it. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability resulting in a denial of service attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9585 affects Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform version 5, specifically targeting the Java Management Extensions endpoint. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application server's handling of remote management communications. The vulnerability stems from the improper validation of data received through the JMX interface, where the system accepts and processes serialized data without adequate sanitization or verification mechanisms. The affected component operates within the server's management layer, providing administrators with remote access to monitor and control application server operations through standardized management protocols.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the deserialization process of untrusted data within the JMX endpoint. When credentials are transmitted to the JBoss EAP server through the management interface, the system attempts to deserialize these credentials without sufficient validation checks. This deserialization process creates a dangerous attack surface where maliciously crafted serialized data can be interpreted and executed by the application server. The flaw aligns with CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data as a critical security concern. Attackers can construct specially formatted serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable JMX endpoint, trigger unintended behavior within the server's runtime environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests primarily as a denial of service condition, though the potential for more severe consequences cannot be ruled out. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to disrupt normal server operations by causing the application server to crash, hang, or otherwise become unresponsive to legitimate management requests. This disruption can significantly impact business continuity and availability of critical enterprise applications hosted on the affected JBoss servers. The vulnerability's exploitation does not necessarily require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers with minimal privileges. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1210, which involves exploitation of remote services through deserialization vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-9585 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected JBoss EAP 5 instances with the vendor-provided security updates. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the JMX endpoints, restricting management communications to trusted administrative networks only. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary JMX endpoints, implementing strict access controls through firewalls, and monitoring for unusual deserialization activity patterns. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected JBoss EAP versions within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in enterprise application servers, particularly those handling remote management interfaces that process potentially malicious data from external sources.