CVE-2017-10391 in GlassFish Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle GlassFish Server component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Administration). Supported versions that are affected are 3.0.1 and 3.1.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle GlassFish Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle GlassFish Server accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle GlassFish Server accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle GlassFish Server. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10391 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle GlassFish Server's Administration subcomponent, specifically affecting versions 3.0.1 and 3.1.2 of the Fusion Middleware suite. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284 which pertains to improper access control mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it allows unauthorized users to exploit the system without requiring authentication credentials. The flaw exists within the administrative interface of GlassFish Server, which serves as the primary management console for configuring and monitoring the application server environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication checks within the administration console's HTTP endpoints, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by any network-connected attacker. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 7.3, indicating a high severity threat that combines medium impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute unauthorized operations including data modification, deletion, and unauthorized data reading from accessible server resources. The vulnerability's network accessibility means that attackers do not need physical access or prior credentials to exploit the flaw, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such servers may be exposed to external networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as successful exploitation can lead to partial denial of service conditions that disrupt normal server operations and potentially affect business continuity. Attackers can manipulate server configurations, modify application deployments, and access sensitive administrative functions that should only be available to authorized personnel. This vulnerability directly affects the integrity and availability aspects of the CIA triad, as unauthorized modifications can corrupt server configurations and the confidentiality of data stored within accessible server directories. The partial denial of service component means that while complete system shutdown may not be guaranteed, server performance and availability can be significantly degraded through strategic exploitation of the administrative functions.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest supported versions of Oracle GlassFish Server, network segmentation to isolate administrative interfaces, and implementation of robust firewall rules that restrict access to administrative ports and endpoints. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under initial access techniques, specifically network service scanning and exploitation of remote services, making it a prime target for automated attack tools. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary administrative interfaces, implementing strong network monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other middleware components. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting GlassFish administrative interfaces.