A newly discovered vulnerability, CVE-2024-20921, affects various versions of Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. As a result, it poses a significant risk to the security and integrity of critical data managed by these software applications. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the exploit, the affected software components, and the potential consequences of successful attacks. Additionally, it includes links to original references and relevant code snippets.

Exploitable Component: Hotspot

The component affected by this vulnerability is Hotspot within Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. It is important to emphasize that this vulnerability can be exploited using APIs supplied to the affected component by a web service or other data sources. It is also relevant to Java deployments that rely on the Java sandbox for security and load and run untrusted code (e.g., Java Web Start applications or Java applets).

Exploit Details

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability via multiple network protocols, making it possible to compromise Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. Successful attacks can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all data accessible by the compromised software. The exploit is considered difficult to execute, but the potential consequences of a successful attack are significant.

CVSS 3.1 Base Score and Vector

CVE-2024-20921 has a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.9, indicating a moderate level of risk related to confidentiality impacts. The vulnerability's CVSS Vector is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, which describes the characteristics of the exploit and its potential impact.

Mitigation and Further Reading

Users of affected Oracle software products are advised to apply appropriate patches and updates from Oracle once they become available to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2024-20921. In the meantime, administrators should monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and review security policies related to the use of APIs in affected components.

For more information, please refer to the following sources

- Oracle Security Alert: CVE-2024-20921
- CVE-2024-20921 - National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) v3.1: Specification Document

Conclusion

CVE-2024-20921 is a difficult-to-exploit but potentially dangerous vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, and Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition. By compromising the security of the vulnerable Hotspot component, an attacker could gain unauthorized access to critical data or complete control over affected software installations. Users and administrators should take appropriate measures to mitigate potential attacks and monitor their systems for any signs of intrusion.

Timeline

Published on: 02/17/2024 02:15:46 UTC
Last modified on: 02/20/2024 19:51:05 UTC