CVE-2012-4681
Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2012-4681 is a CRITICAL vulnerability in Oracle Java SE, carrying a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE allow for remote code execution. The flaw is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control). In typical attack scenarios, exploitation occurs through malicious Java applets embedded in web pages, drive-by downloads, or specially crafted applications that exploit the JVM runtime environment. This CVE is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog with a remediation deadline of 2022-03-24. CISA has confirmed ransomware associations, significantly elevating the threat profile. With an EPSS score of 0.93952 (99.88th percentile), this vulnerability exhibits substantial real-world exploitation activity.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| oracle | jdk | 1.6.0; 1.7.0 |
| oracle | jre | 1.6.0; 1.7.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux eus | 6.3 |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | 6.0 |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | 6.0 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2012/08/zero-day-season-is-not-over-yet.html(Third Party Advisory)
- http://immunityproducts.blogspot.com/2012/08/java-0day-analysis-cve-2012-4681.html(Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
- http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/new-java-0day-exploited-in-the-wild/(Broken Link, Exploit)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-09/msg00032.html(Mailing List)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-10/msg00016.html(Mailing List)
- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=135109152819176&w=2(Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1225.html(Third Party Advisory)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/51044(Not Applicable)
- http://www.deependresearch.org/2012/08/java-7-vulnerability-analysis.html(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2012-4681-1835715.html(Vendor Advisory)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/55213(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-240A.html(Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
- https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2012/08/27/lets-start-the-week-with-a-new-java-0day(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-4681(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-284: Improper Access Control
CVE-2012-4681 is classified under CWE-284 — Improper Access Control. Improper Access Control occurs when software does not properly restrict access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. This is a broad category that encompasses many specific access control failures including authentication bypass, authorization bypass, and improper enforcement of access policies. Access control involves determining who can access what resources and what actions they can perform. Failures can occur in authentication (who you are), authorization (what you can do), or accounting (tracking what was done).
In the context of Oracle Java SE, this weakness class is particularly concerning because the product is widely deployed across enterprise and consumer environments. Access control failures are consistently among the most critical security vulnerabilities. They directly lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, unauthorized modification of systems, and potential complete system compromise. OWASP ranks Broken Access Control as the #1 vulnerability category. Real-world impacts include data breaches exposing millions of records, financial fraud, and system takeovers. Access control bugs are particularly dangerous because they often require no exploitation skills—just knowledge of the flaw. Organizations using affected versions should understand that this weakness class frequently enables reliable exploitation paths that threat actors actively leverage in both targeted and opportunistic attacks.
Impact Analysis
CVE-2012-4681 carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with the following impact characteristics.
Confidentiality (HIGH): An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains access to all data accessible by the affected component. In the context of Oracle Java SE, this can include sensitive configuration data, user credentials, proprietary business information, and any data the application processes or stores.
Integrity (HIGH): Successful exploitation enables an attacker to modify, corrupt, or destroy data within the affected system. This includes the potential to tamper with system files, install backdoors or persistent malware, alter critical configurations, and manipulate application logic to serve malicious purposes.
Availability (HIGH): The vulnerability can be exploited to cause complete denial of service, rendering the affected system or application unavailable to legitimate users. System crashes, infinite loops, or resource exhaustion may persist until manual administrative intervention restores normal operation.
Scope (Unchanged): The exploitation impact is contained within the security scope of the vulnerable component itself. While the damage within that scope can be severe with full compromise of the affected application, lateral impact on other systems requires additional exploitation steps.
With an EPSS score of 0.93952 (99.88th percentile), this vulnerability ranks among the most likely to be exploited in the wild, placing it well above the vast majority of all cataloged vulnerabilities in terms of real-world exploitation activity.
Exploit Maturity
CVE-2012-4681 demonstrates significant exploit maturity with confirmed active exploitation in the wild.
Active exploitation: This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming that it has been observed being actively exploited by threat actors. The KEV designation mandates federal agencies to apply remediation within a defined timeframe and serves as a strong signal of real-world risk.
Ransomware association: CISA's KEV catalog confirms a known association between CVE-2012-4681 and ransomware campaigns. Ransomware operators have incorporated exploits targeting this vulnerability into their attack chains, using it for initial access or privilege escalation to deploy ransomware payloads across enterprise environments.
Public exploits: Public exploit code is available, significantly lowering the barrier for exploitation. Known exploit references include entries on Exploit-DB and additional vulnerability databases. The availability of weaponized code means that both sophisticated threat actors and less-skilled attackers can target this vulnerability with minimal development effort.
KEV remediation deadline: CISA set a remediation deadline of 2022-03-24 for federal agencies, underscoring the urgency of patching. Organizations beyond the federal sector should treat this deadline as a strong indicator of the risk level and prioritize remediation accordingly.
Remediation
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Apply vendor-provided security patches immediately. Apply updates per vendor instructions. Consult the official security advisory for specific patch versions and deployment guidance.
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Verify affected product versions in your environment. Affected products include: Jdk (1.6.0; 1.7.0), Jre (1.6.0; 1.7.0), Enterprise Linux Desktop (6.0), Enterprise Linux Eus (6.3), Enterprise Linux Server (6.0), Enterprise Linux Workstation (6.0). Conduct an inventory of all instances across your organization to ensure comprehensive patch coverage and prevent any unpatched systems from remaining exposed.
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Implement interim mitigations if immediate patching is not feasible. Restrict network access to the affected service using firewall rules and access control lists. Limit exposure to trusted networks only and monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns targeting the vulnerable service.
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Enable enhanced monitoring and detection. Configure intrusion detection systems and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2012-4681. Review security logs for indicators of compromise and establish alerting for anomalous behavior on systems running affected software.
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Conduct a post-patch vulnerability assessment. After applying patches, verify that the remediation was effective by running vulnerability scans against all previously affected systems. Confirm the vulnerability is no longer present and ensure no instances were missed during deployment.
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Assess for signs of prior compromise. Given the confirmed ransomware association, investigate whether this vulnerability may have already been exploited in your environment. Check for unusual process activity, unauthorized file modifications, anomalous network traffic patterns, and unexpected lateral movement between systems.
Technical Details
CVE-2012-4681 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting Oracle Java SE. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE allow for remote code execution.
Attack Vector: The attack vector is NETWORK, meaning the vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring the attacker to have local access to the target system. This significantly expands the potential attacker population and makes the vulnerability accessible to remote threat actors.
Attack Complexity: The attack complexity is LOW. Exploitation does not require specialized conditions, race conditions, or extensive preparation — making it accessible to a broad range of attackers including those with limited technical sophistication.
Underlying mechanism: The vulnerability stems from improper access control, where improper access control occurs when software does not properly restrict access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In the context of Java SE, this manifests when processing specially crafted input that triggers the underlying memory corruption or logic flaw, allowing the attacker to achieve code execution or other malicious outcomes.
Affected products: Jdk (1.6.0; 1.7.0), Jre (1.6.0; 1.7.0), Enterprise Linux Desktop (6.0), Enterprise Linux Eus (6.3), Enterprise Linux Server (6.0), Enterprise Linux Workstation (6.0). Organizations should cross-reference their deployed versions against this list to assess their exposure to this vulnerability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2012-4681?
CVE-2012-4681 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) affecting Oracle Java SE. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE allow for remote code execution. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability has confirmed associations with ransomware campaigns.
Which products are affected by CVE-2012-4681?
The vulnerability affects Oracle products including Jdk, Jre. Affected versions include 1.6.0; 1.7.0. Organizations should consult the vendor's security advisory for the complete list of affected versions and available patches.
How do I fix CVE-2012-4681?
Apply updates per vendor instructions. Refer to the official vendor security advisory for specific patch downloads and deployment instructions. If immediate patching is not possible, implement interim mitigations such as restricting access to the vulnerable component, enabling enhanced monitoring, and educating users about potential attack vectors. Verify remediation effectiveness with post-patch vulnerability scanning.
How severe is CVE-2012-4681?
CVE-2012-4681 is rated CRITICAL with a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8. Its EPSS score of 0.93952 places it in the 99.88th percentile for exploitation likelihood, meaning it is more likely to be exploited than 99.9% of all known vulnerabilities. CISA has confirmed ransomware association, and the KEV remediation deadline was 2022-03-24. The combination of active exploitation, ransomware use, and high EPSS makes this vulnerability a top-priority remediation target for all affected organizations.
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