Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Java Bytecode Verifier allows malicious web-based applets to bypass security restrictions. If a user interacts with a specially crafted applet, an attacker could execute unauthorized commands on the user's computer with the same permissions as the logged-in user. This could lead to the theft of personal files or the installation of unwanted software.
Technical details
A vulnerability exists in the Java Bytecode Verifier component of the Java Runtime Environment. The flaw allows a malicious Java applet to bypass the 'sandbox' security model and execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the user running the applet. This is achieved by exploiting weaknesses in how the verifier validates bytecode before execution. While the attack vector is local in terms of execution context, it is typically delivered via a remote web page containing a malicious applet. The vulnerability was originally addressed in early Sun Microsystems security bulletins.
Affected products
- Sun Microsystems Java
Timeline
- 1996-03-29: disclosed
- 1996-03-29: advisory