__________________________________________________________ The U.S. Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability ___ __ __ _ ___ / | /_\ / \___ __|__ / \ \___ __________________________________________________________ INFORMATION BULLETIN Security Vulnerability with Java Web Start [Sun Alert ID: 57740] March 24, 2005 18:00 GMT Number P-161 ______________________________________________________________________________ PROBLEM: A vulnerability in Java Web Start may allow an untrusted application the ability to elevate its privileges. PLATFORM: 1.4.2_06 and earlier 1.4.2 releases for Windows, Solaris, and Linux DAMAGE: An untrusted application may grant itself permissions to read and write local files or execute local applications that are accessible to the user. SOLUTION: Upgrade to the appropriate version. ______________________________________________________________________________ VULNERABILITY The risk is MEDIUM. A malicious attacker can compromise a user's ASSESSMENT: system. ______________________________________________________________________________ LINKS: CIAC BULLETIN: http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/p-161.shtml ORIGINAL BULLETIN: Sun Alert ID: 57740 http://www.sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1 -26-57740-1&searchclause=%22category:security%22%20%22 availability,%20security%22 ______________________________________________________________________________ [***** Start Sun Alert ID: 57740 *****] Sun(sm) Alert Notification Sun Alert ID: 57740 Synopsis: Security Vulnerability With Java Web Start Category: Security Product: Java 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE) BugIDs: 6175681 Avoidance: Upgrade State: Resolved Date Released: 16-Mar-2005 Date Closed: 16-Mar-2005 Date Modified: 1. Impact A vulnerability in Java Web Start may allow an untrusted application the ability to elevate its privileges. As a result, an application may grant itself permissions to read and write local files or execute local applications that are accessible to the user running the Java Web Start application. Sun acknowledges, with thanks, Jouko Pynnonen for bringing this issue to our attention. 2. Contributing Factors This issue can occur in Java Web Start in the following J2SE releases: * 1.4.2_06 and earlier 1.4.2 releases for Windows, Solaris and Linux Note: Java Web Start in J2SE 5.0 and later and J2SE releases prior to 1.4.2 for Windows, Solaris and Linux are not affected by this issue. Java Web Start 1.0.1_02 and earlier are also not affected. To determine the version of Java on a system, run the following command: % java -fullversion java full version "1.4.2_06-b01" 3. Symptoms There are no reliable symptoms that would indicate the described issue has been exploited. Solution Summary Top 4. Relief/Workaround To work around the described issue, disable Java Web Start applications from being launched from a web browser as follows: For Internet Explorer: 1. Right click on the "Start" button and select "Explore" 2. In the "Start Menu" window, select "Tools" => "Folder Options" 3. From the "Folder Options" window, select the "File Types" tab 4. From the "Registered File Types" window, scroll down and locate the "JNLP - JNLP File" 5. Select the "JNLP - JNLP File" and click the "Delete" button For Mozilla: 1. Select "Preferences" under the browser's "Edit" menu 2. In the "Preferences" window, select "Helper Applications" located under the "Navigator" category 3. Under "Files types", scroll down and locate "application/x-java-jnlp-file" 4. Select "application/x-java-jnlp-file" and click the "Remove" button Notes: 1. On Microsoft Windows, applications may also be launched from the desktop icon or Start Menu if a shortcut was previously created for an application. Unknown applications should not be launched through the desktop icon or the Start Menu. Shortcuts can be removed by using the Java Web Start Application Manager through the "Application/Remove Shortcut" menu item. For more information, see: * http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/jws/Readme.html 2. It is also possible to launch applications through the command line in Windows, Solaris, and Linux. Unknown applications should not be launched through the command line. Sites may consider renaming the Java Web Start launcher ("javaws.exe" for Windows and "javaws" for Solaris and Linux) to prevent Java Web Start from launching. The launcher can be found at: Windows: C:\Program Files\java\j2re1.4.2\javaws\javaws.exe Solaris (if installed using pkg): /usr/bin/javaws Linux (if installed using rpm): /usr/java/j2re1.4.2/javaws/javaws 5. Resolution This issue is addressed in Java Web Start in the following J2SE releases: * 1.4.2_07 or later for Windows, Solaris and Linux J2SE releases are available for download at the following links: * J2SE 5.0 Update 2 at: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/index.jsp and http://java.com * J2SE 1.4.2_07 at: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html Note: It is recommended that affected versions be removed from your system. For more information, please see the installation notes on the respective java.sun.com download pages. 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 2000-2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara, CA 95054 U.S.A. All rights reserved. [***** End Sun Alert ID: 57740 *****] _______________________________________________________________________________ CIAC wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Sun Microsystems for the information contained in this bulletin. _______________________________________________________________________________ CIAC, the Computer Incident Advisory Capability, is the computer security incident response team for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the emergency backup response team for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CIAC is located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. CIAC is also a founding member of FIRST, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, a global organization established to foster cooperation and coordination among computer security teams worldwide. CIAC services are available to DOE, DOE contractors, and the NIH. CIAC can be contacted at: Voice: +1 925-422-8193 (7x24) FAX: +1 925-423-8002 STU-III: +1 925-423-2604 E-mail: ciac@ciac.org Previous CIAC notices, anti-virus software, and other information are available from the CIAC Computer Security Archive. World Wide Web: http://www.ciac.org/ Anonymous FTP: ftp.ciac.org PLEASE NOTE: Many users outside of the DOE, ESnet, and NIH computing communities receive CIAC bulletins. If you are not part of these communities, please contact your agency's response team to report incidents. Your agency's team will coordinate with CIAC. The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) is a world-wide organization. A list of FIRST member organizations and their constituencies can be obtained via WWW at http://www.first.org/. This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor the University of California nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the United States Government or the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or the University of California, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. 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