CVE-2012-4681
oracle jdk, oracle jre, redhat enterprise linux desktop
Published 28 Aug 2012 · updated 6 Aug 2026 · Analyzed
Exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 3 Mar 2022, with a remediation deadline of 24 Mar 2022 for US federal agencies. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Description
Multiple vulnerabilities in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 6 and earlier allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted applet that bypasses SecurityManager restrictions by (1) using com.sun.beans.finder.ClassFinder.findClass and leveraging an exception with the forName method to access restricted classes from arbitrary packages such as sun.awt.SunToolkit, then (2) using "reflection with a trusted immediate caller" to leverage the getField method to access and modify private fields, as exploited in the wild in August 2012 using Gondzz.class and Gondvv.class.
References
- blog.fireeye.com/research/2012/08/zero-day-season-is-not-over-yet.html · Third Party Advisory
- immunityproducts.blogspot.com/2012/08/java-0day-analysis-cve-2012-4681.html · Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/new-java-0day-exploited-in-the-wild/ · Broken Link, Exploit
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-09/msg00032.html · Mailing List
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-10/msg00016.html · Mailing List
- marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=135109152819176&w=2 · Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1225.html · Third Party Advisory
- secunia.com/advisories/51044 · Not Applicable
- www.deependresearch.org/2012/08/java-7-vulnerability-analysis.html · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2012-4681-1835715.html · Vendor Advisory
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/55213 · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-240A.html · Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2012/08/27/lets-start-the-week-with-a-new-java-0day · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-4681 · US Government Resource