Multiple Security Vulnerabilities in Java Web Start and Java Plug-in May Allow Privilege Escalation

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Multiple Security Vulnerabilities in Java Web Start and Java Plug-in May Allow Privilege Escalation

1. Impact

Multiple security vulnerabilities exist in Java Web Start and Java Plug-in that may allow escalation of privileges. These include:

CR 6727079: A vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) may allow an untrusted Java Web Start application to make network connections to hosts other than the host that the application is downloaded from.

CR 6727081: A vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment with launching Java Web Start applications may allow an untrusted Java Web Start application to escalate privileges. For example, an untrusted application may grant itself permissions to read and write local files or execute local applications that are accessible to the user running the untrusted application.

CR 6694892:  A vulnerability in Java Web Start may allow certain trusted operations to be performed, such as modifying system properties.

CR 6727071: A vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment may allow an untrusted Java Web Start application to determine the location of the Java Web Start cache and the username of the user running the Java Web Start application.

CR 6707535:  A vulnerability in Java Web Start and Java Plug-in may allow hidden code on a host to make network connections to that host and to hijack HTTP sessions using cookies stored in the browser.

CR 6716217: A vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) with applet classloading may allow an untrusted applet to read arbitrary files on a system that the applet runs on and make network connections to hosts other than the host it was loaded from.

CR 6767668: A security vulnerability in the the Java Web Start BasicService allows untrusted applications that are downloaded from another system to request local files to be displayed by the browser of the user running the untrusted application.

Sun acknowledges with thanks, the following:

For CRs 6727079, 6727081 and 6727071:


For CR 6694892:


For CR 6707535:


For CR 6716217:


2. Contributing Factors

CRs 6727079, 6727081, 6694892 and 6767668 can occur in Java Web Start in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 10 and earlier
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 16 and earlier
• SDK and JRE 1.4.2_18 and earlier

Note: SDK and JRE 1.3.x are not affected.

CR 6727071 can occur in Java Web Start in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux::

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 10 and earlier
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 16 and earlier

Note: SDK and JRE 1.4.x and 1.3.x are not affected.

CR 6707535 can occur in Java Web Start and Java Plug-in in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 10 and earlier
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 16 and earlier
• SDK and JRE 1.4.2_18 and earlier

Note: SDK and JRE 1.3.x are not affected.

CR 6716217 can occur in Java Plug-in in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 10 and earlier
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 16 and earlier
• SDK and JRE 1.4.2_18 and earlier

and the following Java SE releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• SDK and JRE 1.3.1_23 and earlier

Note: All issues do not affect JDK and JRE 6 Update 7 for Intel Itanium.

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 display 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 as in the following example:


(Indicating that the JRE version the browser uses is 1.5.0_11).

3. Symptoms

There are no predictable symptoms that would indicate the described issues have been exploited.

4. Workaround

To reduce the likelihood of executing untrusted applications which may allow these issues to be exploited, Java Web Start applications may be disabled temporarily (until the Updates or patches have been installed) as follows:

For Internet Explorer (Windows):

1. Right click on the "Start" button and select "Explore"
2. In the "Start Menu" window, select "Tools" => "Folder Options"
3. From the "Folder Options" window, select the "File Types" tab
4. From the "Registered File Types" window, scroll down and locate the "JNLP - JNLP File"
5. Select the "JNLP - JNLP File" and click the "Delete" button
   

For Mozilla:

1. Select "Preferences" under the browser's "Edit" menu
2. In the "Preferences" window, select "Helper Applications" located under the "Navigator" category
3. Under "File types", scroll down and locate "application/x-java-jnlp-file"
4. Select "application/x-java-jnlp-file" and click the "Remove" button
   

Note 1: On Microsoft Windows, applications may also be launched from the desktop icon or Start Menu if a shortcut was previously created for an application. Unknown applications should not be launched through the desktop icon or the Start Menu. Shortcuts can be removed by using the Java Web Start Application Manager through the "Application/Remove Shortcut" menu item. For more information, see:


Note 2: It is also possible to launch applications through the command line in Solaris, Windows and Linux. Unknown applications should not be launched through the command line. Sites may consider renaming the Java Web Start launcher ("javaws.exe" for Windows and "javaws" for Solaris and Linux) to prevent Java Web Start from launching.

The launcher can be found at:

Windows:


Solaris (if installed using pkg):


Linux (if installed using rpm):


5. Resolution

CRs 6727079, 6727081, 6694892, 6767668 and 6707535 are addressed in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 11 or later
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 17 or later
• SDK and JRE 1.4.2_19 or later

CR 6727071 is addressed in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux::

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 11 or later
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 17 or later

CR 6716217 is addressed in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

• JDK and JRE 6 Update 11 or later
• JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 17 or later
• SDK and JRE 1.4.2_19 or later

and in the following Java SE releases for Solaris and Windows:

• SDK and JRE 1.3.1_24 or later

Java SE releases are available at:

JDK 6 Update 11:


JRE 6 Update 11:



and through the Java Update tool for Microsoft Windows users.

JDK 6 Update 11 for Solaris is available in the following patches:

• Java SE 6: Update 11 (as delivered in patch 125136-12)
• Java SE 6: Update 11 (as delivered in patch 125137-12 (64bit))
• Java SE 6_x86: Update 11 (as delivered in patch 125138-12)
• Java SE 6_x86: Update 11 (as delivered in patch 125139-12 (64bit))

JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 17:


JDK 5.0 Update 17 for Solaris is available in the following patches:

• J2SE 5.0: Update 17 (as delivered in patch 118666-18)
• J2SE 5.0: Update 17 (as delivered in patch 118667-18 (64bit))
• J2SE 5.0_x86: Update 17 (as delivered in patch 118668-18)
• J2SE 5.0_x86: Update 17 (as delivered in patch 118669-18 (64bit))

SDK and JRE 1.4.2_19:


Java SE for Business releases are available at:


Java SE releases SDK and JRE 1.4.2 have completed the Sun End of Service Life (EOSL) process. Sun recommends that users upgrade to the latest Java SE release. Customers interested in continuing to receive critical fixes on SDK and JRE 1.4.2 are encouraged to migrate to Java SE for Business.

SDK and JRE 1.3.1 have completed the Sun End of Service Life (EOSL) process and are 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 Java SE release.

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 the 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 DOC UMENT 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.

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