CVE-2020-2802 in GraalVM Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle GraalVM (component: GraalVM Compiler). Supported versions that are affected are 19.3.1 and 20.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. While the vulnerability is in Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.7 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2802 resides within Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition's GraalVM Compiler component, representing a critical availability risk that affects versions 19.3.1 and 20.0.0. This weakness manifests as a denial of service condition that can be exploited by low-privileged attackers who gain network access through multiple protocols, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where GraalVM is deployed. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal privileges and sophisticated technical skills to leverage this flaw effectively. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.7 reflects the significant availability impact, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H demonstrating that network-based attacks with low complexity and privileges can trigger complete system crashes with cascading effects across dependent systems.
The technical flaw within the GraalVM Compiler component stems from improper handling of certain code compilation scenarios that lead to system instability and potential complete system hangs. This issue typically occurs during the Just-In-Time compilation process where malformed or malicious input can cause the compiler to enter an infinite loop or trigger memory corruption patterns that result in system crashes. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate GraalVM environment as it can affect additional Oracle products and applications that rely on GraalVM's compilation capabilities, creating a broader attack surface. The availability impact is particularly severe because the system can be rendered completely unusable through repeated exploitation, making this a critical concern for production environments where continuous operation is essential.
Operational impact assessment reveals that successful exploitation of CVE-2020-2802 can result in complete system downtime that may require manual intervention to restore normal operations. Organizations utilizing Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition for critical applications face significant business disruption risks, as the vulnerability can be leveraged to create persistent availability issues that may not be immediately apparent. The cascading effects mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that systems depending on GraalVM for runtime compilation may also experience secondary impacts, potentially affecting application performance and reliability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 weakness category related to resource exhaustion and potentially matches ATT&CK techniques involving system shutdown or restart operations that can be classified under the T1499.004 sub-technique for network denial of service.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition installations to version 20.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of GraalVM instances to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual compilation patterns or resource consumption spikes that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing application-level restrictions and input validation for code compilation processes can help prevent malicious code from triggering the vulnerable compiler paths. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for patterns associated with this vulnerability and establish incident response procedures for rapid remediation when exploitation is detected. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the vulnerability is fully resolved without introducing regressions in application functionality.