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JdkApplication · Sun

CVE-2008-1190

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-03-06
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
Unspecified vulnerability in Java Web Start in Sun JDK and JRE 6 Update 4 and earlier, 5.0 Update 14 and earlier, and SDK/JRE 1.4.2_16 and earlier allows remote attackers to gain privileges via an untrusted application, a different issue than CVE-2008-1191, aka the "fourth" issue.

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

A vulnerability in Java Web Start allows remote attackers to gain elevated privileges via untrusted applications. This affects Sun JDK/JRE 6 Update 4 and earlier, 5.0 Update 14 and earlier, and SDK/JRE 1.4.2_16 and earlier. The CVSS 9.3 score indicates critical severity due to the ease of exploitation and complete privilege escalation capability.

MitigationUpgrade to patched versions of Java JDK/JRE. For 6 Update 4 and earlier, upgrade to at least Update 5 or later; similar updates apply to 5.0 and 1.4.2 lines. Ensure only trusted applications are permitted to run via Java Web Start.

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
JdkApplication
Affected:= 1.5.0= 1.6.0
JreApplication
Affected:= 1.4.2= 1.4.2_1= 1.4.2_2= 1.4.2_3= 1.4.2_4= 1.4.2_5= 1.4.2_6= 1.4.2_7= 1.4.2_8= 1.4.2_9= 1.4.2_10= 1.4.2_11
SdkApplication
Affected:= 1.4.2= 1.4.2_1= 1.4.2_2= 1.4.2_3= 1.4.2_4= 1.4.2_5= 1.4.2_6= 1.4.2_7= 1.4.2_8= 1.4.2_9= 1.4.2_10= 1.4.2_11

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. Check installed Java JRE/JDK version
    Run 'java -version' or 'javac -version' from command line to get the version string. On Windows, also check the Java Control Panel (Java > General > About) for the JRE version.
    Affected if Version is JDK/JRE 1.6.0 Update 4 or earlier, 1.5.0 Update 14 or earlier, or 1.4.2_16 or earlier (or versions matching the listed affected product versions)
  2. Confirm Java Web Start is installed
    Check for javaws.exe (Windows) or javaws binary (Unix/Linux) in the Java installation bin directory, or look for Java Web Start in the system program menu.
    Affected if Java Web Start executable exists on the system
  3. Identify if Java Web Start is in use
    Check for .jnlp files on the system, or review browser/plugin settings for Java Web Start integration. Check if javaws is set to handle jnlp:// URLs.
    Affected if Java Web Start is installed and configured to handle JNLP applications
  4. Check for untrusted JNLP application launch configuration
    Review Java Web Start security settings in the Java Control Panel (Security tab). Look for whether applications from untrusted sources are allowed to run.
    Affected if Java Web Start security settings permit running untrusted applications from the internet

You are affected if you have Java Web Start installed AND your Java version falls within the affected version ranges AND untrusted JNLP applications can be launched

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

Upgrade to patched versions of Java JDK/JRE. For 6 Update 4 and earlier, upgrade to at least Update 5 or later; similar updates apply to 5.0 and 1.4.2 lines. Ensure only trusted applications are permitted to run via Java Web Start.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Java JDK/JRE 1.4.2_17+, 5.0 Update 15+, or 6 Update 5+ (or migrate to a currently supported Java LTS version such as Java 11, 17, or 21)

  1. 1. Identify all systems running the affected Java versions (JDK/JRE 1.4.2 through 1.4.2_3, 5.0, or 6 Update 4 and earlier)
  2. 2. Uninstall the affected Java versions from all affected systems
  3. 3. Download and install a patched version of Java that addresses this vulnerability
  4. 4. Verify the new Java version is running by checking java -version
  5. 5. Ensure any Java Web Start applications are tested with the new version
Caveat Older Java applications may have compatibility issues with newer Java versions; test critical applications before production deployment

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

Fix this in Jdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2008-1190 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