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Java SeApplication · Sun

CVE-2009-2716

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-08-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6 or later.
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 plugin functionality in Sun Java SE 6 before Update 15 does not properly implement version selection, which allows context-dependent attackers to leverage vulnerabilities in "old zip and certificate handling" and have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.

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

The Sun Java SE 6 plugin does not properly implement version selection, allowing attackers to force the use of older, vulnerable versions with known flaws in ZIP file handling and certificate validation. This version selection bypass enables context-dependent attackers to leverage these older components through unknown attack vectors.

MitigationUpgrade to Java SE 6 Update 15 or later, which implements proper version selection in the plugin. Remove or disable older Java installations if upgrade is not possible.

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 SeApplication
Affected:<= 6

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. Identify installed Java SE versions
    Check for Java installations on the system. On Windows, examine C:\Program Files\Java\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\. On Linux/Unix, check /usr/lib/jvm/ or /opt/java/. Use command 'java -version' to see the default JRE version.
    Affected if Java SE version 6 or earlier (any version <= 6) is installed on the system
  2. Locate Java Web Start and plugin components
    Search for javaws.exe (Windows) or javaws (Linux/Unix) in Java installation directories, and check browser plugin folders for npap java.dll (Netscape-style) or Java deployment locations.
    Affected if The Java Web Start (javaws) or browser plugin component exists alongside a vulnerable Java SE 6 installation
  3. Check for multiple Java installations
    Review all Java versions present on the system, not just the default one. Look in all potential installation paths including user-specific directories. Use 'update-alternatives --list java' on Linux or check registry on Windows at HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment.
    Affected if Multiple Java versions coexist and older vulnerable versions (6 or earlier) are present alongside any version
  4. Verify browser plugin configuration
    In Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons > Java Plug-ins. In Firefox, check Tools > Add-ons > Plugins. In Chrome, navigate to chrome://plugins. Identify which Java plugin version(s) are registered and enabled.
    Affected if A Java plugin version from Java SE 6 or earlier is enabled in any web browser
  5. Confirm Java SE 6 Update version
    If Java SE 6 is installed, determine the specific update version. Check the folder name (e.g., jre1.6.0_14) or run 'java -fullversion'. Compare against the fixed version (Update 15).
    Affected if Java SE 6 is present with update version lower than 15 (e.g., 6u14 or earlier)
  6. Assess plugin version exposure
    A web page can query and force the browser to use an older Java plugin version through improper version selection. Visit a page that lists all available Java plugin versions registered with the browser.
    Affected if The browser reports multiple Java plugin versions available, including any from Java SE 6 or earlier

A user is affected if Java SE 6 (any version 6 or earlier, particularly below Update 15) is installed with the browser plugin or Java Web Start component enabled, and older vulnerable versions can be invoked through version selection bypass.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Java SE 6 Update 15 or later, which implements proper version selection in the plugin. Remove or disable older Java installations if upgrade is not possible.

Fix this in Java Se Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2009-2716 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