CVE-2023-22081- Vulnerability in the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition, and JSSE Component: Exploit Details, References, and Fixes

A recently discovered vulnerability, CVE-2023-22081, affects the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Java SE, and the JSSE component. Various supported versions are impacted, and the issue has the potential to allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTPS to compromise these Oracle products. This post delves into the details of the vulnerability, including the affected versions, exploit details, and how to patch the vulnerability.

Exploit Details

This easily exploitable vulnerability can allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTPS to compromise Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. If the attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they could gain unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of the Oracle products mentioned.

Notably, this vulnerability applies to Java deployments typically in clients running sandboxed Java Web Start applications or sandboxed Java applets that load and run untrusted code (e.g., code that comes from the internet) and rely on the Java sandbox for security. It does not apply to Java deployments typically in servers that load and run only trusted code (e.g., code installed by an administrator).

CVE-2023-22081 carries a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.3 (Availability impacts) and a CVSS Vector of (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates how the JSSE component in Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition are vulnerable to denial of service attacks.

// The attacker can trigger the vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTPS requests
URL targetURL = new URL("https://vulnerable.example.com/";);
HttpsURLConnection conn = (HttpsURLConnection) targetURL.openConnection();

// Vulnerable JSSE component can be exploited by manipulating the SSL/TLS handshake process
conn.setHostnameVerifier((hostname, session) -> true);

// Execute the exploit by sending a crafted request
conn.connect();

// The server can become partially unresponsive due to the exploited vulnerability
...

How to Patch

Oracle has released patches for the affected versions to address this vulnerability. To fix the issue, it is necessary to apply the corresponding security patch available from the Oracle Support site or upgrade to a non-affected version.

For more information about CVE-2023-22081, please consult the following resources

1. Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory - Oracle Link
2. CVE-2023-22081 Vulnerability Details - CVE MITRE Link
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) - NVD Link

Conclusion

It is crucial to stay informed about such vulnerabilities and apply security patches or perform upgrades as necessary. CVE-2023-22081 affects multiple Oracle products, including Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition, and can result in a partial denial of service. By keeping your Java deployments up-to-date and properly secured, it is possible to minimize the risks associated with this specific vulnerability and others like it.

Timeline

Published on: 10/17/2023 22:15:13 UTC
Last modified on: 11/08/2023 05:15:09 UTC