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JreApplication · Oracle

CVE-2012-0500

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-02-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS 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 the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 2 and earlier, 6 Update 30 and earlier, and JavaFX 2.0.2 and earlier allows remote untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Deployment.

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 critical vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment's Deployment component allowed remote attackers to bypass Java's sandbox security model through malicious Java Web Start applications or Java applets, enabling complete system compromise (confidentiality, integrity, and availability). The attack vector required user interaction (visiting malicious webpage or launching malicious JWS app).

MitigationUpdate Java to version 7 Update 3 or later, 6 Update 31 or later (or JavaFX 2.1+). As interim workarounds, disable Java browser plug-in or set Java security settings to 'High' and restrict untrusted applets.

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:<= 1.6.0= 1.6.0<= 1.7.0= 1.7.0
JreApplication
Affected:= 1.6.0
JavafxApplication
Affected:<= 2.0.2= 1.2= 1.2.2= 1.2.3= 1.3.0= 1.3.1= 2.0

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 Runtime Environment version
    Run 'java -version' from command line or check the Java Control Panel (Java > General > About) for the installed version number
    Affected if The version is 1.6.0 (any update), 1.7.0 (any update), or falls within the JavaFX affected ranges (1.2, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.3.0, 1.3.1, 2.0, or <= 2.0.2)
  2. Determine if Java browser plug-in is enabled
    In Windows, check browser add-on settings (Internet Options > Programs > Manage Add-ons) for 'Java Plug-in' status, or check if Java is listed in browser's enabled extensions/plugins
    Affected if The Java browser plug-in is listed as Enabled or Always Active in any web browser on the system
  3. Verify Java Web Start (javaws) availability
    Check if javaws.exe exists in the Java installation directory (typically under C:\Program Files\Java\jre*\bin\) or run 'javaws -version' from command line
    Affected if Java Web Start is installed and present on the system
  4. Confirm Java security configuration for applets
    Open Java Control Panel > Security tab and check the security level setting, or inspect the deployment.properties file in the Java deployment directory
    Affected if Security level is set to Medium or High (the vulnerability could still be triggered depending on the specific attack vector)

You are affected if your installed Java/JaFX version matches the affected ranges AND either the Java browser plug-in or Java Web Start is enabled on your system, as these are required vectors for the sandbox 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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.0.2
Interim mitigation

Update Java to version 7 Update 3 or later, 6 Update 31 or later (or JavaFX 2.1+). As interim workarounds, disable Java browser plug-in or set Java security settings to 'High' and restrict untrusted applets.

Recommended fix High confidence

Java 6 to 6u31+/7u3+ (or migrate to currently supported Java 8/11/17 LTS), JavaFX 2.1+

  1. Identify all systems with affected Java installations (JRE 1.6.0 through 1.6.0 Update 30, JRE 1.7.0 through 1.7.0 Update 2, and JavaFX 2.0.2 and earlier)
  2. For Java 6.x systems: upgrade to Java 6 Update 31 or later (or migrate to a supported Java version)
  3. For Java 7.x systems: upgrade to Java 7 Update 3 or later
  4. For JavaFX systems: upgrade to JavaFX 2.1 or later
  5. After upgrading, clear Java Web Start cache (javaws -uninstall or via Java Control Panel)
  6. Restart any Java Web Start applications and verify they function correctly
Caveat Older applications may require recompilation or testing for compatibility with newer Java versions; some legacy applications may depend on removed APIs

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

Fix this in Jre Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2012-0500 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