dbcve.org
JmfApplication · Sun

CVE-2003-1572

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-06-01
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Sun Java Media Framework (JMF) 2.1.1 through 2.1.1c allows unsigned applets to cause a denial of service (JVM crash) and read or write unauthorized memory locations via the ReadEnv class, as demonstrated by reading environment variables using modified .data and .size fields.

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 · moderate confidence

The Sun Java Media Framework (JMF) ReadEnv class contains a vulnerability allowing unsigned applets to perform out-of-bounds memory reads and writes by manipulating .data and .size fields, enabling JVM crashes (denial of service) and arbitrary memory disclosure including environment variables.

MitigationDisable Java applets in web browsers and remove or upgrade the vulnerable JMF installation; if JMF is required, ensure only signed applets from trusted sources are permitted and consider network segmentation to limit exposure.

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
JmfApplication
Affected:= 2.1.1= 2.1.1a= 2.1.1b= 2.1.1c

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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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. Locate JMF installation
    Search for JMF JAR files (jmf.jar, mp3plugin.jar) or the JMF registry file in common locations such as JAVA_HOME/lib/ext, JRE/lib/ext, or user home directories like ~/.java or /Library/Java/Extensions on macOS
    Affected if JMF files are found in the system classpath or extension directories accessible to applets
  2. Identify JMF version
    Open the JMF JAR file (if found) using a ZIP utility and inspect the MANIFEST.MF file in the META-INF directory, or run 'java -jar jmf.jar' if it has a main class, to determine the exact version number
    Affected if The version is 2.1.1, 2.1.1a, 2.1.1b, or 2.1.1c exactly as listed in affected versions
  3. Verify ReadEnv class presence
    Extract or list contents of the JMF JAR file and confirm the ReadEnv class exists in the com.sun.media.codec.audio.sound package or similar package path within the JAR
    Affected if The ReadEnv class file is present in the JMF installation, indicating the vulnerable component exists
  4. Check applet execution context
    Review browser Java plugin settings or Java Control Panel security settings to determine if unsigned Java applets are permitted to run in web browsers
    Affected if Unsigned Java applets can execute in any browser on this system, which is required for the exploit to trigger

The system is affected if JMF versions 2.1.1, 2.1.1a, 2.1.1b, or 2.1.1c with the ReadEnv class is installed AND unsigned Java applets are enabled in web browsers.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable Java applets in web browsers and remove or upgrade the vulnerable JMF installation; if JMF is required, ensure only signed applets from trusted sources are permitted and consider network segmentation to limit exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. This is a legacy vulnerability in Sun Java Media Framework (JMF) 2.1.1 from 2003. The product has been deprecated for many years with no vendor-supported patches available.
  2. If JMF is still in use, migrate to a modern alternative media framework such as JMF's successor projects (e.g., FMJ - Freedom for Media in Java) or other actively maintained Java media libraries.
  3. Remove or disable any deployments still using JMF 2.1.1 to eliminate the vulnerable code entirely.
  4. If the vulnerable JMF applet functionality is required in a legacy environment, implement strict firewall rules to prevent untrusted applets from accessing the network resources where JMF is hosted.
Caveat JMF is deprecated; no direct upgrade path exists. Migration to alternative media frameworks will require code changes.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Jmf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2003-1572 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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