A Security Vulnerability in the Java Plug-in May Allow an Untrusted Applet to Elevate Privileges



Category :Security
Release Phase :Resolved
Bug Id :6608712  
Product :Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE)  
Date of Resolved Release :04-Mar-2008 

A Security Vulnerability in the Java Plug-in May Allow an Untrusted Applet to Elevate Privileges


1. Impact

A security vulnerability in the Java Plug-in may allow an applet that is downloaded from a website to bypass the same origin policy and leverage this flaw to execute local applications that are accessible to the user running the untrusted applet.

Sun acknowledges with thanks, John Heasman of NGSSoftware for bringing this issue to our attention.

2. Contributing Factors

This issue can occur in the following releases (for Windows, Solaris, and Linux):
  • JDK and JRE 6 Update 4 and earlier
  • JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 14 and earlier
  • SDK and JRE 1.4.2_16 and earlier
  • SDK and JRE 1.3.1_21 and earlier
To determine the default version of the JRE that Internet Explorer uses:
  1. Click "Tools" in the Menu Bar at the top of the browser
  2. Select "Sun Java Console"
The first two lines in the console displays the version of Java Plug-in and JRE that Internet Explorer uses

To determine the default version of the JRE that Mozilla or Firefox  browsers use, visit the URL "about:plugins". The browser will display a page called "Installed plug-ins" which lists the version of the Java Plug-in such as the following:

Java(TM) Plug-in 1.5.0_11-b03

The above indicates the version of the JRE the browser uses is 1.5.0_11.

3. Symptoms

There are no predictable symptoms that would indicate that the above issue is being exploited.

4. Workaround

There is no workaround for this issue. Please see the Resolution section below.

5. Resolution

This issue is addressed in the following releases (for Windows, Solaris, and Linux):
  • JDK and JRE 6 Update 5 or later
  • JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 15 or later
  • SDK and JRE 1.4.2_17 or later
This issue is addressed in the following releases (for Windows and Solaris 8):
  • SDK and JRE 1.3.1_22 or later
JDK and JRE 6 Update 5 is available for download at the following links:


JRE 6 Update 5 is available through the Java Update Tool for Microsoft Windows users.

JDK 6 Update 5 for Solaris is available in the following patches:
  • Java SE 6: update 5 (as delivered in patch 125136-07 or later)
  • Java SE 6: update 5 (as delivered in patch 125137-07 or later (64bit))
  • Java SE 6_x86: update 5 (as delivered in patch 125138-07 or later)
  • Java SE 6_x86: update 5 (as delivered in patch 125139-07 or later (64bit))
JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 15 is available for download at the following link:


JDK 5.0 Update 15 for Solaris is available in the following patches:
  • J2SE 5.0: update 15 (as delivered in patch 118666-16 or later)
  • J2SE 5.0: update 15 (as delivered in patch 118667-16 or later (64bit))
  • J2SE 5.0_x86: update 15 (as delivered in patch 118668-16 or later)
  • J2SE 5.0_x86: update 15 (as delivered in patch 118669-16 or later (64bit))
SDK and JRE 1.4.2 is available for download at:


SDK and JRE 1.3.1 for Solaris 8 is available for download at:


SDK and JRE 1.3.1 has completed the Sun End of Life (EOL) process and is only supported for customers with Solaris 8 and "Vintage Support Offering" support contracts (see http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download.html). Sun strongly recommends that users upgrade to the latest releases.

Note: When installing a new version of the product from a source other than a Solaris patch, it is recommended that the old affected versions be removed from your system. To remove old affected versions on the Windows platform, please see:


For more information on Security Sun Alerts, see Technical Instruction ID 213557.

This Sun Alert notification is being provided to you on an "AS IS" basis. This Sun Alert notification may contain information provided by third parties. The issues described in this Sun Alert notification may or may not impact your system(s). Sun makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees as to the information contained herein. ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. BY ACCESSING THIS DOCUMENT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SUN SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT ARISE OUT OF YOUR USE OR FAILURE TO USE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. This Sun Alert notification contains Sun proprietary and confidential information. It is being provided to you pursuant to the provisions of your agreement to purchase services from Sun, or, if you do not have such an agreement, the Sun.com Terms of Use. This Sun Alert notification may only be used for the purposes contemplated by these agreements.

Copyright 2000-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara, CA 95054 U.S.A. All rights reserved.





Attachments
This solution has no attachment

 
 
Login Required

You must login and have a valid contract to access Sun's Premium content which includes:

  • Sun Alerts
  • Bugs
  • Patches
  • Solutions
  • White Papers
  • Documentation
  • Support Knowledge

Login Required

You must login and have a valid contract to access Sun's contracted features

Access Legend:

(Login to access)   Sun Contracted Content
(Login to access)   Sun Contracted Feature

Please make use of SunSolve Feedback application by selecting the floating [+] to provide feedback about this specific document.

Search

Article Details
Article ID : 233324
Article Type : Sun Alert
Last reviewed : 2008-03-04
Audience : PUBLIC
Keywords :
Provide feedback  (help)
Page Tools
»  Print This Page
»  Email This Article
»  Bookmark This Article
 
Contact About Sun News & Events Employment Site Map Privacy Terms of Use Trademarks Copyright Sun Microsystems, Inc. | SunSolve Version 7.4.0 #1