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JdkApplication · Oracle

CVE-2016-3443

CRITICAL · 9.6 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-04-21
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

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 6u113, 7u99, and 8u77 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to 2D. NOTE: the previous information is from the April 2016 CPU. Oracle has not commented on third-party claims that this issue allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via crafted font data, which triggers an out-of-bounds read.

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

This is a font parsing vulnerability in Oracle Java SE's 2D graphics component. Remote attackers can exploit this by submitting crafted font data that triggers an out-of-bounds read, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information from memory.

MitigationApply Oracle Java SE security updates 6u113, 7u99, 8u77 or later to patch the 2D component vulnerability; consider disabling Java browser plugins and restricting untrusted font file processing until patching is complete.

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
JdkApplication
Affected:= 1.6.0= 1.7.0= 1.8.0
JreApplication
Affected:= 1.6.0= 1.7.0= 1.8.0

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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Java version
    Run 'java -version' or 'java -fullversion' from command line to obtain the exact version string (e.g., 1.8.0_77)
    Affected if The version shows 1.6.0, 1.7.0, or 1.8.0 family without having applied the security updates (6u113, 7u99, or 8u77 or later)
  2. Confirm Oracle Java SE is in use
    Run 'java -version' and verify the vendor line shows Oracle Corporation or Oracle OpenJDK
    Affected if The JRE/JDK is Oracle-branded and the version falls within the affected families
  3. Verify 2D component is present
    The java.desktop module containing the 2D graphics component is part of standard Java SE installation; confirm Java runs normally with graphical operations
    Affected if Java SE is installed with standard libraries (default configuration) and version is unpatched
  4. Check if font processing is accessible
    The vulnerability is triggered when processing untrusted font files through Java 2D rendering pipelines; verify applications or applets process user-supplied font data
    Affected if Applications process untrusted font files using Java 2D APIs (java.awt.Font, Font2D, etc.) on an unpatched version

You are affected if you run Oracle Java SE (JDK or JRE) versions 1.6.0, 1.7.0, or 1.8.0 that have not been updated to 6u113, 7u99, or 8u77 respectively, and your applications process font data through the 2D component.

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

Apply Oracle Java SE security updates 6u113, 7u99, 8u77 or later to patch the 2D component vulnerability; consider disabling Java browser plugins and restricting untrusted font file processing until patching is complete.

Recommended fix High confidence

Java SE 6 Update 115 or later; Java SE 7 Update 101 or later; Java SE 8 Update 91 or later (or migrate to Java 11/17 LTS for long-term support)

  1. 1. Identify all systems running Java SE 6, 7, or 8 (JDK or JRE).
  2. 2. Determine the exact version installed using 'java -version' or checking the JRE/JDK installation directory.
  3. 3. Download the latest Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Update (CPU) that addresses this vulnerability.
  4. 4. For Java 6: Upgrade to Java SE 6 Update 115 or later.
  5. 5. For Java 7: Upgrade to Java SE 7 Update 101 or later.
  6. 6. For Java 8: Upgrade to Java SE 8 Update 91 or later.
  7. 7. Apply the upgrade following standard deployment procedures for your organization.
  8. 8. Verify the new version is running: execute 'java -version' and confirm the version number matches or exceeds the fixed release.
Caveat Minor: Upgrading within the same major version (e.g., 8u77 to 8u91) typically has minimal breaking changes; however, migrating from Java 7 to Java 8 or from Java 8 to Java 11 may require application compatibility testing

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

Fix this in Jdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,280
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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-2016-3443 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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