CVE-2013-0422: Oracle JRE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Oracle JRE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Vendor

Oracle

Product

Java Runtime Environment (JRE)

Added to the catalog

2022-05-25

Due date for US federal agencies

2022-06-15

Weaknesses

CWE-264

Catalog version

2026.10.30

A vulnerability in the way Java restricts the permissions of Java applets could allow an attacker to execute commands on a vulnerable system.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-0422

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2013-01-10T21:55:00.777

Last modified

2026-06-16T23:49:24.963

Weaknesses

NVD-CWE-Other, CWE-284

Multiple vulnerabilities in Oracle Java 7 before Update 11 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by (1) using the public getMBeanInstantiator method in the JmxMBeanServer class to obtain a reference to a private MBeanInstantiator object, then retrieving arbitrary Class references using the findClass method, and (2) using the Reflection API with recursion in a way that bypasses a security check by the java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles.Lookup.checkSecurityManager method due to the inability of the sun.reflect.Reflection.getCallerClass method to skip frames related to the new reflection API, as exploited in the wild in January 2013, as demonstrated by Blackhole and Nuclear Pack, and a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-4681 and CVE-2012-3174. NOTE: some parties have mapped the recursive Reflection API issue to CVE-2012-3174, but CVE-2012-3174 is for a different vulnerability whose details are not public as of 20130114. CVE-2013-0422 covers both the JMX/MBean and Reflection API issues. NOTE: it was originally reported that Java 6 was also vulnerable, but the reporter has retracted this claim, stating that Java 6 is not exploitable because the relevant code is called in a way that does not bypass security checks. NOTE: as of 20130114, a reliable third party has claimed that the findClass/MBeanInstantiator vector was not fixed in Oracle Java 7 Update 11. If there is still a vulnerable condition, then a separate CVE identifier might be created for the unfixed issue.

References

• http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2013/01/happy-new-year-from-new-java-zero-day.html (Not Applicable)
• http://blog.fuseyism.com/index.php/2013/01/15/security-icedtea-2-1-4-2-2-4-2-3-4-released/ (Broken Link)
• http://immunityproducts.blogspot.ca/2013/01/confirmed-java-only-fixed-one-of-two.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/zero-day-java-exploit-debuts-in-crimeware/ (Third Party Advisory)
• http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2013/new-year-new-java-zeroday/ (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-01/msg00025.html (Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
• http://malware.dontneedcoffee.com/2013/01/0-day-17u10-spotted-in-while-disable.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0156.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0165.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2013/Jan/48 (Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
• http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/625617 (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:095 (Not Applicable)
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2013-0422-1896849.html (Vendor Advisory)
• http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1693-1 (Third Party Advisory)
• http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-010A.html (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• https://partners.immunityinc.com/idocs/Java%20MBeanInstantiator.findClass%200day%20Analysis.pdf (Broken Link)
• https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/nasty-new-java-zero-day-found-exploit-kits-already-have-it-011013 (Not Applicable)
• https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Support/Advisories/MGASA-2013-0018 (Third Party Advisory)
• https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/blogs/PSIRT/entry/oracle_java_7_security_manager_bypass_vulnerability_cve_2013_04224?lang=en_us (Not Applicable)
• http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2013/01/happy-new-year-from-new-java-zero-day.html (Not Applicable)
• http://blog.fuseyism.com/index.php/2013/01/15/security-icedtea-2-1-4-2-2-4-2-3-4-released/ (Broken Link)
• http://immunityproducts.blogspot.ca/2013/01/confirmed-java-only-fixed-one-of-two.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/zero-day-java-exploit-debuts-in-crimeware/ (Third Party Advisory)
• http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2013/new-year-new-java-zeroday/ (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-01/msg00025.html (Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
• http://malware.dontneedcoffee.com/2013/01/0-day-17u10-spotted-in-while-disable.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0156.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0165.html (Third Party Advisory)
• http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2013/Jan/48 (Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
• http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/625617 (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:095 (Not Applicable)
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2013-0422-1896849.html (Vendor Advisory)
• http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1693-1 (Third Party Advisory)
• http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-010A.html (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• https://partners.immunityinc.com/idocs/Java%20MBeanInstantiator.findClass%200day%20Analysis.pdf (Broken Link)
• https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/nasty-new-java-zero-day-found-exploit-kits-already-have-it-011013 (Not Applicable)
• https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Support/Advisories/MGASA-2013-0018 (Third Party Advisory)
• https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/blogs/PSIRT/entry/oracle_java_7_security_manager_bypass_vulnerability_cve_2013_04224?lang=en_us (Not Applicable)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2013-0422 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:28.906Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2013-0422

CVE record

Assigner

oracle

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2013-01-10T21:23:00.000Z

Updated

2025-10-22T00:05:44.798Z

Problem types

n/a

Multiple vulnerabilities in Oracle Java 7 before Update 11 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by (1) using the public getMBeanInstantiator method in the JmxMBeanServer class to obtain a reference to a private MBeanInstantiator object, then retrieving arbitrary Class references using the findClass method, and (2) using the Reflection API with recursion in a way that bypasses a security check by the java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles.Lookup.checkSecurityManager method due to the inability of the sun.reflect.Reflection.getCallerClass method to skip frames related to the new reflection API, as exploited in the wild in January 2013, as demonstrated by Blackhole and Nuclear Pack, and a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-4681 and CVE-2012-3174. NOTE: some parties have mapped the recursive Reflection API issue to CVE-2012-3174, but CVE-2012-3174 is for a different vulnerability whose details are not public as of 20130114. CVE-2013-0422 covers both the JMX/MBean and Reflection API issues. NOTE: it was originally reported that Java 6 was also vulnerable, but the reporter has retracted this claim, stating that Java 6 is not exploitable because the relevant code is called in a way that does not bypass security checks. NOTE: as of 20130114, a reliable third party has claimed that the findClass/MBeanInstantiator vector was not fixed in Oracle Java 7 Update 11. If there is still a vulnerable condition, then a separate CVE identifier might be created for the unfixed issue.

References

• RHSA-2013:0156
• http://malware.dontneedcoffee.com/2013/01/0-day-17u10-spotted-in-while-disable.html
• MDVSA-2013:095
• http://blog.fuseyism.com/index.php/2013/01/15/security-icedtea-2-1-4-2-2-4-2-3-4-released/
• openSUSE-SU-2013:0199
• RHSA-2013:0165
• VU#625617
• TA13-010A
• https://partners.immunityinc.com/idocs/Java%20MBeanInstantiator.findClass%200day%20Analysis.pdf
• http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2013/01/happy-new-year-from-new-java-zero-day.html
• https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/blogs/PSIRT/entry/oracle_java_7_security_manager_bypass_vulnerability_cve_2013_04224?lang=en_us
• USN-1693-1
• https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Support/Advisories/MGASA-2013-0018
• http://immunityproducts.blogspot.ca/2013/01/confirmed-java-only-fixed-one-of-two.html
• https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/nasty-new-java-zero-day-found-exploit-kits-already-have-it-011013
• 20130110 [SE-2012-01] 'Fix' for Issue 32 exploited by new Java 0-day code
• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2013-0422-1896849.html
• http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/zero-day-java-exploit-debuts-in-crimeware/
• http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2013/new-year-new-java-zeroday/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:24:21.831Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2013/0xxx/CVE-2013-0422.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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