CVE-2013-3024
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 · uneditedIBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 8.5 through 8.5.0.2 on UNIX allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging improper process initialization. IBM X-Force ID: 84362.
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 confidenceIBM WebSphere Application Server versions 8.5 through 8.5.0.2 on UNIX systems contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability where improper process initialization allows local users to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability stems from how the WAS processes are initialized, potentially allowing manipulation of process permissions or environment.
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>= 8.5.0.0, <= 8.5.0.2CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify WebSphere Application Server versionRun the versionInfo command from the WAS installation bin directory: cd /opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/bin && ./versionInfo.sh (or versionInfo on some systems). Alternatively, check the installation manifest file at <WAS_HOME>/properties/version/versionInfo.properties for the installed version.Affected if The installed version falls within 8.5.0.0 through 8.5.0.2 inclusive
-
Confirm the operating system platformRun the command: uname -s or cat /etc/os-release to verify the system is a UNIX variant (AIX, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX). This vulnerability only affects WAS on UNIX systems.Affected if The system is running a UNIX-based operating system (AIX, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX)
-
Locate WAS process initialization scriptsExamine the WAS installation directory structure for process startup scripts in the bin/ and profiles/ directories. Check for files such as startServer.sh, serverStatus.sh, or launchManager.sh within the profile directories. Verify file ownership and permissions on these scripts.Affected if The WAS installation has executable scripts in standard bin/profile directories with permissions that could allow manipulation by non-privileged local users
-
Check for shared resource exposureInspect WAS directory permissions and look for world-writable directories or files within the WAS installation tree. Use: find <WAS_HOME> -type d -perm -002 or ls -la on key directories. Also check for shared /tmp usage by examining process environment.Affected if The WAS installation directory or its startup scripts have overly permissive access (world-writable) or share /tmp directories that could be exploited for privilege escalation
A system is affected if it runs IBM WebSphere Application Server version 8.5.0.0 through 8.5.0.2 on a UNIX platform where local users could potentially manipulate process initialization.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade IBM WebSphere Application Server to a version beyond 8.5.0.2 which contains the patched process initialization routines, or apply the relevant IBM fix pack. Additionally, restrict local access to the WAS installation directories and processes to trusted users only.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-3024 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-3024 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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