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Weblogic ServerApplication · Oracle

CVE-2020-2801

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-15
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
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 10.3.6.0.0, 12.1.3.0.0, 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via IIOP, T3 to compromise Oracle WebLogic Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle WebLogic Server. Note: The patch for this issue will address the vulnerability only if the WLS instance is using JDK 1.7.0_191 or later, or JDK 1.8.0_181 or later. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 9.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

Critical deserialization vulnerability in Oracle WebLogic Server's Core component affecting versions 10.3.6.0.0 through 12.2.1.4.0. Allows unauthenticated remote attackers to achieve complete server takeover via specially crafted IIOP or T3 protocol network requests without requiring any credentials or user interaction.

MitigationApply Oracle's patch for CVE-2020-2801; ensure WebLogic Server runs on JDK 1.7.0_191+ or JDK 1.8.0_181+ as the patch effectiveness depends on these JDK versions. Consider restricting IIOP/T3 network access at the perimeter if patching is delayed.

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
Weblogic ServerApplication
Affected:= 10.3.6.0.0= 12.1.3.0.0= 12.2.1.3.0= 12.2.1.4.0

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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 WebLogic Server version
    Locate the WebLogic installation directory and check the registry file (registry.xml) or use WLST (WebLogic Scripting Tool) with the command 'java weblogic.WLST' then 'print get('Domain'/Version')' or check the patch inventory in the Oracle inventory directory
    Affected if The installed version falls within 10.3.6.0.0 through 12.2.1.4.0 (including 10.3.6.0.0, 12.1.3.0.0, 12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0)
  2. Verify IIOP protocol is enabled
    Inspect the WebLogic config.xml file located in the domain directory (typically $MW_HOME/user_projects/domains/<domain_name>/config/config.xml) and search for <iiop-enabled> elements, or log into the WebLogic Administration Console and navigate to the Server > Protocols > IIOP page for each managed server
    Affected if IIOP is enabled (iiop-enabled set to true) on any managed server in the domain
  3. Verify T3 protocol is enabled
    Inspect the WebLogic config.xml file in the domain directory and search for <listen-address> or T3-related configuration, or check the Administration Console under Server > Protocols for T3/IIOP settings; T3 is enabled by default unless explicitly disabled
    Affected if T3 protocol is enabled (this is the default state in unpatched installations)
  4. Confirm network exposure of IIOP/T3 ports
    Review network configuration to identify if IIOP (default port 7001 or 7002) and T3 (default port 7001) ports are exposed to untrusted networks; check firewall rules, load balancer configurations, and the Server > General > Listen Ports settings in the Administration Console
    Affected if IIOP or T3 ports are accessible from untrusted network segments (the exploit requires network access to these protocols)

You are affected if your WebLogic Server version is between 10.3.6.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 AND either IIOP or T3 protocol is enabled AND these ports are network-accessible to attackers.

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's patch for CVE-2020-2801; ensure WebLogic Server runs on JDK 1.7.0_191+ or JDK 1.8.0_181+ as the patch effectiveness depends on these JDK versions. Consider restricting IIOP/T3 network access at the perimeter if patching is delayed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2020 (or subsequent CPU) for WebLogic Server - specific PSU version depends on your current baseline (e.g., 10.3.6.0.18, 12.1.3.0.9, 12.2.1.4.0)

  1. Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) July 2020 which includes the patch for CVE-2020-2801. Download from Oracle Support and apply per Oracle documentation.
  2. Ensure the WebLogic Server instance is running JDK 1.7.0_191 or later, OR JDK 1.8.0_181 or later. The patch will only address the vulnerability when used with these JDK versions or later.
  3. After applying the patch and verifying JDK version, restart the WebLogic Server instance to load the patched components.
  4. Verify the patch was applied successfully by checking the WebLogic Server version and reviewing Oracle's patch inventory output.
Caveat Applying CPU patches carries risk of introducing regressions; test thoroughly in staging first. Also ensure application compatibility with the required minimum JDK versions (1.7.0_191+/1.8.0_181+).

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

Fix this in Weblogic Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2020-2801 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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