CVE-2002-1294
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Microsoft Java implementation, as used in Internet Explorer, can provide HTML object references to applets via Javascript, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash due to illegal memory accesses) and possibly conduct other unauthorized activities via an applet that uses those references to access proprietary Microsoft methods.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Microsoft Java implementation in Internet Explorer allows JavaScript to pass HTML object references to applets, which can then access proprietary Microsoft methods. This leads to illegal memory accesses causing crashes (DoS) and potentially allows remote attackers to conduct unauthorized activities.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Microsoft Java VM is installedInspect system for presence of Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM). On Windows systems, this can be found through Control Panel Add/Remove Programs, or by checking the Java plugin status in Internet Explorer. Alternatively, look for MSJVM-related files or registry entries.Affected if Microsoft Java VM is present on the system
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Identify the installed MSJVM versionDetermine the exact version of the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine. Compare your installed version against the affected range: version 1.1 is specifically listed as vulnerable.Affected if Installed version is Microsoft Java VM 1.1.x
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Verify Java applet support in Internet ExplorerOpen Internet Explorer and navigate to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level. Examine settings related to Java permissions, ActiveX controls, and script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting. Alternatively, check if the Java plugin appears in IE's Manage Add-ons dialog.Affected if Java applet support or Java permissions are enabled in Internet Explorer security settings
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Confirm applet execution capabilityAttempt to load a simple Java applet in Internet Explorer, or verify that the browser is configured to allow Java applet (.class or .jar) files to execute. Check IE security zone settings for the zone typically used for web browsing.Affected if Internet Explorer can execute Java applets from web pages
A system is affected if Microsoft Java Virtual Machine version 1.1 is installed AND Internet Explorer has Java applet support enabled, allowing JavaScript-to-applet communication.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataDisable Java applet support in Internet Explorer and migrate to modern browsers; for legacy systems still requiring this functionality, consider removing the Microsoft Java VM or implementing network-level restrictions on applet execution.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2002-1294 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2002-1294 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data