dbcve.org
JavaApplication · Ibm

CVE-2013-5456

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-11-24
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
The com.ibm.rmi.io.SunSerializableFactory class in IBM Java SDK 7.0.0 before SR6 allows remote attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism and execute arbitrary code via vectors related to deserialization inside the AccessController doPrivileged block.

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 com.ibm.rmi.io.SunSerializableFactory class in IBM Java SDK 7.0.0 before SR6 contains a deserialization vulnerability that allows remote attackers to bypass sandbox protections and execute arbitrary code by exploiting deserialization vectors inside an AccessController.doPrivileged block.

MitigationUpgrade IBM Java SDK to version 7.0.0 SR6 or later to patch the vulnerability, or apply IBM's interim security fix if available.

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
JavaApplication
Affected:= 7.0.0.0

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
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. Identify IBM Java SDK installation
    Run 'java -version' or 'java -fullversion' to see the vendor and version information. On Windows, check the installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\IBM\Java\). On Linux/Unix, check /opt/ibm/java or the JAVA_HOME environment variable.
    Affected if The output shows IBM Java SDK version 7.0.0.x before SR6 (e.g., 7.0.0.0 through 7.0.0.5)
  2. Confirm exact IBM Java version string
    Run 'java -version 2>&1' and note the full version string (e.g., 'Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build pxi3270sr5-20130530_01)'). SR5 and earlier are vulnerable; SR6 and later are fixed.
    Affected if The version shows SR5, SR4, SR3, SR2, SR1, or no SR suffix (base 7.0.0.0) - indicating a version before SR6
  3. Check for vulnerable class presence
    Locate the IBM Java SDK installation and verify the class com.ibm.rmi.io.SunSerializableFactory exists in the runtime JAR files (usually in jre/lib/rt.jar or similar). Use 'jar tf' to list contents of the runtime JAR.
    Affected if The class file SunSerializableFactory.class exists in the IBM Java 7.0.0 runtime library
  4. Identify deserialization usage in deployed applications
    Review application code and configuration for use of ObjectInputStream, Java serialization, or RMI (java.rmi) which may trigger the vulnerable deserialization path. Search for 'ObjectInputStream' and 'readObject' calls in deployed Java archives.
    Affected if Applications use Java serialization or RMI with the vulnerable IBM Java SDK runtime

You are affected if IBM Java SDK version 7.0.0.0 through 7.0.0.5 (SR1-SR5) is installed and your applications utilize Java deserialization or RMI functionality.

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 IBM Java SDK to version 7.0.0 SR6 or later to patch the vulnerability, or apply IBM's interim security fix if available.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM Java SDK 7.0.0 SR6 (or later service release)

  1. 1. Identify the current IBM Java SDK version by running 'java -version' or checking the installation directory
  2. 2. Download IBM Java SDK 7.0.0 SR6 or later from IBM Fix Central (https://www-01.ibm.com/mSupport/fixcentral/) or your IBM entitlement site
  3. 3. Install the new IBM Java SDK following IBM's installation documentation for your operating system
  4. 4. Update the JAVA_HOME environment variable to point to the new SDK installation path
  5. 5. Update any scripts, build tools, or application servers that reference the old Java installation path
  6. 6. Restart any running applications or services that use IBM Java
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade by running 'java -version' and confirming it shows version 7.0.0 SR6 or later
Caveat Service releases (SR) are typically backward compatible, but test critical applications after upgrade to ensure compatibility with the new SR

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

Fix this in Java Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,616.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-5456 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2013-5456 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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