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Java SdkApplication · Ibm

CVE-2014-0878

MEDIUM · 5.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-05-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 IBMSecureRandom component in the IBMJCE and IBMSecureRandom cryptographic providers in IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 5.0 before Service Refresh 16 FP6, 6 before Service Refresh 16, 6.0.1 before Service Refresh 8, 7 before Service Refresh 7, and 7R1 before Service Refresh 1 makes it easier for context-dependent attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by predicting the random number generator's output.

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

The IBMSecureRandom component in IBMJCE and IBMSecureRandom cryptographic providers for IBM Java SDK has a predictable random number generation weakness. This allows context-dependent attackers to potentially predict RNG output, defeating cryptographic protections that rely on random values for keys, tokens, or other security-critical data.

MitigationUpgrade IBM SDK Java to the patched service release levels: 5.0 SR16 FP6, 6 SR16, 6.0.1 SR8, 7 SR7, or 7R1 SR1 or later. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, consider supplementing with additional entropy sources or alternative cryptographic implementations.

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 SdkApplication
Affected:= 6.0.0.0= 6.0.1.0= 6.0.2.0= 6.0.3.0= 6.0.4.0= 6.0.5.0= 6.0.6.0= 6.0.7.0= 6.0.8.0= 6.0.8.1= 6.0.9.0= 6.0.9.1

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
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

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 IBM Java SDK version
    Run 'java -version' or 'java -XshowSettings:properties -version' and look for the 'java.version' property. For IBM Java, also check the 'java.home' directory for a 'release' file that contains the build version information.
    Affected if The version matches 6.0.0.0 through 6.0.9.1 (any of the listed affected versions).
  2. Verify IBMJCE or IBMSecureRandom provider is loaded
    Check the Java security properties file (java.security) in the JRE/lib/security directory, or at runtime invoke Security.getProviders() to list loaded security providers. Look for entries containing 'IBMSecureRandom' or 'IBMJCE'.
    Affected if Either IBMSecureRandom or IBMJCE appears in the list of configured cryptographic providers.
  3. Confirm the vulnerable RNG component is in use
    Inspect the provider configuration or run a program that queries Security.getProvider('IBMSecureRandom') or Security.getProvider('IBMJCE') to verify the provider is actively registered and available.
    Affected if The IBMSecureRandom or IBMJCE provider is registered and available for cryptographic operations.

You are affected if your environment runs IBM Java SDK versions 6.0.0.0 through 6.0.9.1 AND uses the IBMJCE or IBMSecureRandom cryptographic providers for security-critical operations such as key generation, token creation, or session IDs.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade IBM SDK Java to the patched service release levels: 5.0 SR16 FP6, 6 SR16, 6.0.1 SR8, 7 SR7, or 7R1 SR1 or later. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, consider supplementing with additional entropy sources or alternative cryptographic implementations.

Fix this in Java Sdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2014-0878 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
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