Java Virtual MachineApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2002-1295

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2002-11-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Microsoft Java implementation, as used in Internet Explorer, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly conduct other unauthorized activities via applet tags in HTML that bypass Java class restrictions (such as private constructors) by providing the class name in the code parameter, aka "Incomplete Java Object Instantiation Vulnerability."

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 confidence

This is an incomplete Java object instantiation vulnerability in the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine used in Internet Explorer. Attackers can bypass Java class restrictions (such as private constructors) by specifying restricted class names directly in the applet tag's code parameter, allowing instantiation of classes that should be inaccessible. This enables denial of service (crash) and potentially other unauthorized activities.

MitigationDisable Java in Internet Explorer or remove the deprecated Microsoft Java VM from affected systems. This vulnerability affects a discontinued product (Microsoft Java VM) that is no longer supported; modern browsers and systems should not have this component installed.

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
Java Virtual MachineApplication
Affected:= 1.1

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check for msjava.dll presence
    Search the filesystem for msjava.dll, typically found in Windows\System32 or Windows\System directories. Also check for javai.dll which is the Microsoft Java VM interpreter.
    Affected if Either file exists on the system, indicating Microsoft Java VM is installed.
  2. Verify Microsoft Java VM registry entry
    Inspect the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Java VM for the "Version" value. Also check HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\JDK for the installed Java components.
    Affected if Registry entries exist showing Microsoft Java VM version 1.1.x is installed.
  3. Confirm Internet Explorer Java plugin configuration
    Open Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level. Look for settings related to 'Java permissions' or 'ActiveX controls and plugins' that control Java applet execution.
    Affected if Java is enabled in Internet Explorer security settings, allowing applets to run.
  4. Check for deprecated Microsoft Java VM components
    Look for other Microsoft Java VM files including jview.exe,wjview.exe in System32, or check Add/Remove Programs for 'Microsoft Java Virtual Machine' entry.
    Affected if Additional Microsoft Java VM executables or components are present on the system.

A system is affected if Microsoft Java Virtual Machine version 1.1 is installed and Java is enabled in Internet Explorer, allowing potentially malicious applets to bypass class restrictions.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable Java in Internet Explorer or remove the deprecated Microsoft Java VM from affected systems. This vulnerability affects a discontinued product (Microsoft Java VM) that is no longer supported; modern browsers and systems should not have this component installed.

Fix this in Java Virtual Machine Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2002-1295 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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