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Java SdkApplication · Ibm

CVE-2014-8891

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-03-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.0.16.3 / 7.0.8.10 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 the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) in IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition 5.0 before SR16-FP9, 6 before SR16-FP3, 6R1 before SR8-FP3, 7 before SR8-FP10, and 7R1 before SR2-FP10 allows remote attackers to escape the Java sandbox and execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors related to the security manager.

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

This is a critical Java sandbox escape vulnerability in IBM's JVM implementations (SDK Java Technology Edition versions 5.0, 6, 6R1, 7, and 7R1). The vulnerability exists in the security manager component and allows remote attackers to bypass Java sandbox restrictions and execute arbitrary code with full system privileges.

MitigationUpgrade IBM SDK Java to the patched versions: 5.0 SR16-FP9, 6 SR16-FP3, 6R1 SR8-FP3, 7 SR8-FP10, or 7R1 SR2-FP10 or later. Alternatively, migrate to a currently supported Java version.

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:>= 5.0.0.0, <= 5.0.16.8>= 6.0.0.0, < 6.0.16.3>= 6.1.0.0, <= 6.1.8.2>= 7.0.0.0, < 7.0.8.10>= 7.1.0.0, < 7.1.2.10

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. Confirm IBM Java installation
    Run 'java -version' and look for 'IBM' or 'J9' in the output, or check for IBM Java installation directories such as /opt/ibm/java-* or C:\Program Files\IBM\Java*
    Affected if The output does not show IBM or J9, meaning standard Oracle/OpenJDK Java is in use (not affected)
  2. Determine exact IBM Java version
    Run 'java -version 2>&1' to get the full version string, or inspect the file 'jre/release' or 'release' in the IBM Java installation directory for the JAVA_VERSION property
    Affected if You cannot determine the version or the system does not have IBM Java installed
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Match your installed IBM Java version to the following vulnerable ranges: 5.0.0.0 through 5.0.16.8, 6.0.0.0 through 6.0.16.2, 6.1.0.0 through 6.1.8.2, 7.0.0.0 through 7.0.8.9, or 7.1.0.0 through 7.1.2.9
    Affected if Your installed version falls within any of these ranges (vulnerable)
  4. Check if security manager is enabled
    Search configuration files (like .java.policy,.policy files, or application config) for 'java.security.manager' system property setting, or check application startup scripts for -Djava.security.manager flag
    Affected if The security manager is actively enabled in your environment - the vulnerability exists in the security manager component and only affects systems using it

You are affected if you are running an IBM Java SDK version within the ranges 5.0.0.0-5.0.16.8, 6.0.0.0-6.0.16.2, 6.1.0.0-6.1.8.2, 7.0.0.0-7.0.8.9, or 7.1.0.0-7.1.2.9 AND the Java Security Manager is enabled in your environment.

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 6.0.16.3 / 7.0.8.10 / 7.1.2.10 or later
Fixed in 6.0.16.37.0.8.107.1.2.10
Interim mitigation

Upgrade IBM SDK Java to the patched versions: 5.0 SR16-FP9, 6 SR16-FP3, 6R1 SR8-FP3, 7 SR8-FP10, or 7R1 SR2-FP10 or later. Alternatively, migrate to a currently supported Java version.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM Java 5.0 SR16-FP9 / 6 SR16-FP3 / 6R1 SR8-FP3 / 7 SR8-FP10 / 7R1 SR2-FP10 or later

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed IBM Java SDK version using: java -version or checking the JRE/JDK properties
  2. 2. Determine which IBM Java SDK line (5.0, 6, 6R1, 7, or 7R1) is in use
  3. 3. Download the fixed IBM Java SDK version from IBM's official website or your organization's software repository
  4. 4. For Java 5.0: upgrade to IBM Java 5.0 SR16-FP9 or later
  5. 5. For Java 6: upgrade to IBM Java 6 SR16-FP3 or later
  6. 6. For Java 6R1: upgrade to IBM Java 6R1 SR8-FP3 or later
  7. 7. For Java 7: upgrade to IBM Java 7 SR8-FP10 or later
  8. 8. For Java 7R1: upgrade to IBM Java 7R1 SR2-FP10 or later
Caveat Upgrading IBM Java versions may introduce compatibility changes; test applications thoroughly, especially those using custom security managers

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

Fix this in Java Sdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,580
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2014-8891 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