A Security Vulnerability in Java Runtime Environment (JRE) With Authenticating Users Through Kerberos May Lead to a Denial of Service (DoS)

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A security vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) with authenticating users through Kerberos:

1. Impact

A security vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) with authenticating users through Kerberos may lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) to the system as a whole, due to excessive consumption of operating system resources.

Sun acknowledges, with thanks, Jan Grant of Bristol University for bringing this issue to our attention.

2. Contributing Factors

This issue can occur in the following Java SE and Java SE for Business releases for Solaris, Windows and Linux:

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

Note: SDK and JRE 1.3.1 is not affected by this issue.

To determine the version of Java installed on a system, the following command can be used:

    % *java -version*
    java version "1.5.0_14"

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 shown in the following example:

    Java(TM) Plug-in 1.5.0_11-b03

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

3. Symptoms

If the described issue occurs, the system that the JRE runs on may be unresponsive.

4. Workaround

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

5. Resolution

This issue 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
  

Java SE releases are available at:

JDK 6 Update 11: 

• http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
  

JRE 6 Update 11:

• http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
• http://java.com/
  

and through the Java Update tool for Microsoft Windows users.

JDK 6 Update 11 is also available for Solaris 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:

• http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index_jdk5.jsp

JDK 5.0 Update 17 is also available for Solaris 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:

• http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html
  

Java SE for Business Releases:

• http://www.sun.com/software/javaseforbusiness/getit_download.jsp

Note 1: 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.

Note 2: 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:

• http://java.com/en/download/help/uninstall_java.xml
  

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.




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