Sun Java: Web Start argument injection vulnerability

1. Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Advisory Reference	GLSA 200503-28 / Java
Release Date	March 24, 2005
Latest Revision	May 22, 2006: 02
Impact	normal
Exploitable	remote

Package	Vulnerable versions	Unaffected versions	Architecture(s)
dev-java/sun-jdk	< 1.4.2.07	>= 1.4.2.07, < 1.4.2	All supported architectures
dev-java/sun-jre-bin	< 1.4.2.07	>= 1.4.2.07, < 1.4.2	All supported architectures

Related bugreports: #85804

Synopsis

Java Web Start JNLP files can be abused to evade sandbox restriction and execute arbitrary code.

2. Impact Information

Background

Sun provides implementations of Java Development Kits (JDK) and Java Runtime Environments (JRE). These implementations provide the Java Web Start technology that can be used for easy client-side deployment of Java applications.

Description

Jouko Pynnonen discovered that Java Web Start contains a vulnerability in the way it handles property tags in JNLP files.

Impact

By enticing a user to open a malicious JNLP file, a remote attacker could pass command line arguments to the Java Virtual machine, which can be used to bypass the Java "sandbox" and to execute arbitrary code with the permissions of the user running the application.

3. Resolution Information

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All Sun JDK users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.1: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/sun-jdk-1.4.2.07"

All Sun JRE users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.2: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/sun-jre-bin-1.4.2.07"

4. References

Page updated March 24, 2005

Summary: This is a Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

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