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Ubuntu LinuxOperating system · Canonical

CVE-2014-0461

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-04-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.0.0.3 / 8.0.1.1 or later.
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
Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u71, 7u51, and 8, and Java SE Embedded 7u51, allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Libraries.

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

CVE-2014-0461 is an unspecified remote code execution vulnerability in Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded libraries affecting versions 6u71, 7u51, 8 and later. With a CVSS score of 9.3, it allows complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability is in an unspecified library component and was patched in Oracle's January 2014 Critical Patch Update.

MitigationApply the corresponding Oracle Java security patch (CPU January 2014 or later) to upgrade vulnerable Java installations to a patched version, or remove unused Java installations to reduce attack surface.

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
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.04= 12.04= 12.10= 13.10= 14.04
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 6.0= 7.0= 8.0
JdkApplication
Affected:= 1.6.0= 1.7.0= 1.8.0
JreApplication
Affected:= 1.6.0= 1.7.0= 1.8.0
Forms ViewerApplication
Affected:>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.0.3>= 8.0.0, < 8.0.1.1

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. Check if Java is installed
    Run `java -version` in a terminal to display the installed Java version, or use package manager commands like `dpkg -l | grep -i java` on Debian/Ubuntu systems to list installed Java packages
    Affected if Java is installed and the displayed version matches 1.6.0, 1.7.0, 1.8.0 or any 6u71, 7u51, 8.x series version prior to the January 2014 patch
  2. Identify exact Java version number
    Run `java -version 2>&1` and note the full version string (for example: 1.7.0_51-b13 or 8u20-b05), or on Linux check the package version with `dpkg -l openjdk-*` or `rpm -qa | grep jdk`
    Affected if The version falls within 1.6.0 through 1.6.0u71, 1.7.0 through 1.7.0u51, or 1.8.0 through the versions prior to the January 2014 patch date
  3. Verify Java patch level
    On Oracle Java installations, check the full version output which includes the update number (for example: 1.7.0_51-b13 indicates update 51). On Ubuntu/Debian, check the security patch status with `apt-cache policy openjdk-*` or review installed security advisories
    Affected if The update number is 71 or lower for Java 6, 51 or lower for Java 7, or any 8.x version released before January 2014
  4. Check for IBM Forms Viewer installation
    On systems with IBM Forms Viewer, check the installation directory or installed programs for IBM Forms Viewer version. Common locations include the installation path shown in program files or version information accessible via the application's About dialog
    Affected if IBM Forms Viewer version is 4.0.0 through 4.0.0.2, or 8.0.0 through 8.0.1.0 (versions prior to 4.0.0.3 and 8.0.1.1)
  5. Determine Java library component usage
    Review application configurations and deployed Java libraries to identify if any application uses the specific Java component affected by this CVE. The CVE notes an unspecified library component, so cross-reference your Java usage with Oracle's January 2014 Security Alert documentation
    Affected if The system runs any Java application that utilizes the specific vulnerable library component patched in the January 2014 CPU

A system is affected if it runs Oracle Java (JDK/JRE) versions 1.6.0 through 1.6.0u71, 1.7.0 through 1.7.0u51, or any 1.8.x version released before the January 2014 patch, or IBM Forms Viewer versions 4.0.0-4.0.0.2 or 8.0.0-8.0.1.0.

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 4.0.0.3 / 8.0.1.1 or later
Fixed in 4.0.0.38.0.1.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the corresponding Oracle Java security patch (CPU January 2014 or later) to upgrade vulnerable Java installations to a patched version, or remove unused Java installations to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Oracle Java SE 7u55 or later (7u51 is vulnerable); Oracle Java SE 8u5 or later; Forms Viewer 4.0.0.3 or 8.0.1.1; Ubuntu/Debian vendor-supplied patched packages

  1. 1. Identify the exact Java version installed by running: java -version or rpm -qa | grep -i jdk
  2. 2. For Oracle Java/JRE: Download and install the latest Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Update (CPU) from https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/cpu-extra-info.html
  3. 3. For Ubuntu/Debian Linux: Run 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade openjdk-6-jdk' (for Java 6) or 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade openjdk-7-jdk' (for Java 7)
  4. 4. After upgrade, verify the new version with: java -version
  5. 5. For Forms Viewer: Upgrade to version 4.0.0.3 or 8.0.1.1 as appropriate based on your current major version
  6. 6. Restart any applications or services using the Java runtime
Caveat Major Java version upgrades may require code recompilation or testing for API compatibility; Oracle Java licensing terms apply for production use

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

Fix this in Ubuntu Linux 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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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-0461 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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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-2014-0461 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