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JreApplication · Sun

CVE-2008-3108

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-07-09
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
Buffer overflow in Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in JDK and JRE 5.0 before Update 10, SDK and JRE 1.4.x before 1.4.2_18, and SDK and JRE 1.3.x before 1.3.1_23 allows context-dependent attackers to gain privileges via unspecified vectors related to font processing.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Sun Java Runtime Environment's font processing subsystem affecting JDK/JRE 5.0 before Update 10, SDK/JRE 1.4.x before 1.4.2_18, and SDK/JRE 1.3.x before 1.3.1_23. Allows context-dependent attackers to gain elevated privileges through unspecified font processing vectors.

MitigationUpgrade to Java versions beyond the vulnerable releases (JRE 5.0 Update 10+, 1.4.2_18+, 1.3.1_23+) or migrate to a currently supported Java version with active security maintenance.

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
JreApplication
Affected:= 1.3.1= 1.3.1_2= 1.3.1_03= 1.3.1_04= 1.3.1_05= 1.3.1_06= 1.3.1_07= 1.3.1_08= 1.3.1_09= 1.3.1_10= 1.3.1_11= 1.3.1_12
JdkApplication
Affected:= 1.5.0
SdkApplication
Affected:= 1.3.1= 1.3.1_01= 1.3.1_01a= 1.3.1_02= 1.3.1_03= 1.3.1_04= 1.3.1_05= 1.3.1_06= 1.3.1_07= 1.3.1_08= 1.3.1_09= 1.3.1_10

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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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. Identify installed Java version
    Run 'java -version' or 'javac -version' from command line to obtain the exact version string
    Affected if Version is 1.3.1 through 1.3.1_12, 1.4.x before 1.4.2_18, or 1.5.0 before Update 10
  2. Check Java product vendor and build
    Examine the version output for 'Sun Microsystems' or 'Sun' vendor information, and note the full version string including update number (e.g., _01, _02)
    Affected if Product is Sun JDK, JRE, or SDK from the affected version branches
  3. Locate Java installation directory
    Check JAVA_HOME environment variable or search common paths like /usr/lib/jvm, C:\Program Files\Java for Windows, or /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines for Mac
    Affected if The installation directory contains vulnerable Sun Java runtime libraries (lib/fontmanager, jre/lib/fonts) from affected version ranges
  4. Verify font processing is in use
    Inspect running Java applications for font rendering operations - check process command lines for GUI applications using AWT/Swing, or review application logs for font loading activity
    Affected if Any Java application using AWT, Swing, or Java2D font rendering is active, as the vulnerability lies in the font processing subsystem
  5. Review font configuration files
    Check Java font configuration in jre/lib/font.properties or jre/lib/fontconfig.properties for custom font paths
    Affected if Custom font configurations are present that could load malicious or specially crafted font files into the vulnerable processing path

Environment is affected if Sun Java JDK/JRE/SDK version from the 1.3.1, 1.4.x, or 1.5.0 branches matches the vulnerable ranges and any Java application using font rendering is executing.

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 Java versions beyond the vulnerable releases (JRE 5.0 Update 10+, 1.4.2_18+, 1.3.1_23+) or migrate to a currently supported Java version with active security maintenance.

Recommended fix High confidence

JDK/JRE 1.5.0 Update 10+ or SDK/JRE 1.3.1_23+ (consider migrating to a supported LTS release like JDK 8 or 11 as these older versions are EOL)

  1. 1. Identify all systems running the affected Java versions (JRE 1.3.1 through 1.3.1_04, JDK 1.5.0, SDK 1.3.1 through 1.3.1_02)
  2. 2. Download and install the appropriate patched Java version for your deployment: For JDK/JRE 1.5.0, upgrade to Update 10 or later; For SDK/JRE 1.3.x, upgrade to version 1.3.1_23 or later
  3. 3. Verify the installed Java version by running 'java -version' to confirm the update was applied
  4. 4. Test all critical applications to ensure compatibility with the updated Java version
  5. 5. Remove older vulnerable Java installations from all systems
Caveat Older Java applications may have compatibility issues when migrating from 1.3.x/1.5.0 to newer versions; thorough testing is recommended

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

Fix this in Jre Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,080
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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-2008-3108 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
  • 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