`CVE-2008-5353` Sun JDK

Affected software	Sun JDK
Severity	10.0 High CVSS 2.0
Published	5 Dec 2008
Updated	16 Jun 2026

Description

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for Sun JDK and JRE 6 Update 10 and earlier; JDK and JRE 5.0 Update 16 and earlier; and SDK and JRE 1.4.2_18 and earlier does not properly enforce context of ZoneInfo objects during deserialization, which allows remote attackers to run untrusted applets and applications in a privileged context, as demonstrated by "deserializing Calendar objects".

Exploitation status

Exploited

Real-world exploitation reported by VulnCheck KEV. CISA has not confirmed it.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV listed Exploitation reported in the wild. 2 citations · earliest 2010-01-05.
CISA Vulnrichment no assessment published
Indexed PoC 5 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in Exploit-DB, Metasploit; first seen 2008-12-03.
EPSS 86% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99.7% of all scored CVEs.

VulnCheck KEV

Exploitation evidence from VulnCheck Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (VulnCheck KEV), used under VulnCheck's community terms. View CVE-2008-5353 in VulnCheck (free account).

Evidence	Source	Detail	Date
Reported exploitation	isc.sans.edu	/diary/Report+of+Java+Object+Serialization+exploit+in+use+in+web+driveby+attacks/7879	2010-01-05
Reported exploitation	virusbulletin.com	/virusbulletin/2010/05/exploit-kit-explosion-part-two-vectors-attack	2010-05-01

Evidence

Source

Detail

Date

Reported exploitation

isc.sans.edu

/diary/Report+of+Java+Object+Serialization+exploit+in+use+in+web+driveby+attacks/7879

2010-01-05

Reported exploitation

virusbulletin.com

/virusbulletin/2010/05/exploit-kit-explosion-part-two-vectors-attack

2010-05-01

Index	Artifact	First seen
Exploit-DB	Signed Applet Social Engineering - Code Execution (Metasploit)	2011-01-08
Exploit-DB	Sun Java - Calendar Deserialization (Metasploit)	2010-09-20
Exploit-DB	Apple Mac OSX - Java applet Remote Deserialization Remote (2)	2009-05-20
Exploit-DB	Sun Java Runtime and Development Kit 6 Update 10 - Calendar Deserialization (Metasploit)	2008-12-03
Metasploit	Sun Java Calendar Deserialization Privilege Escalation (excellent rank)

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

Exploit-DB

Signed Applet Social Engineering - Code Execution (Metasploit)

2011-01-08

Exploit-DB

Sun Java - Calendar Deserialization (Metasploit)

2010-09-20

Exploit-DB

Apple Mac OSX - Java applet Remote Deserialization Remote (2)

2009-05-20

Exploit-DB

Sun Java Runtime and Development Kit 6 Update 10 - Calendar Deserialization (Metasploit)

2008-12-03

Metasploit

Sun Java Calendar Deserialization Privilege Escalation (excellent rank)

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full
Action available security rule
Review human Researcher
Record active

Decided by	Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset
Finding	A manual classification set this CVE's status to Protected by Waratek.

Decided by

Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

Finding

A manual classification set this CVE's status to Protected by Waratek.

How to mitigate CVE-2008-5353

Apply the vendor's fix for Sun JDK. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with a security rule that blocks this kind of attack. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

Affected software and releases

Products and versions

3 products, 91 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	sun	jdk	javase	≤ 5.0.0.0 · 5.0:update_1 · 5.0:update_2 · 5.0:update_3 · 5.0:update_4 · 5.0:update_5 · 5.0:update_6 · 5.0:update_7 · 5.0:update_8 · 5.0:update_9 · 5.0:update_10 · 5.0:update_11 · 5.0:update_12 · 5.0:update_13 · 5.0:update_14 · 5.0:update_15 · 6 · ≤ 6.0.0.0 · 6:update_1 · 6:update_2 · 6:update_3 · 6:update_4 · 6:update_5 · 6:update_6 · 6:update_7 · 6:update_8 · 6:update_9
nvd	sun	jre	javase	1.4.2_1 · 1.4.2_2 · 1.4.2_3 · 1.4.2_4 · 1.4.2_5 · 1.4.2_6 · 1.4.2_7 · 1.4.2_8 · 1.4.2_9 · 1.4.2_10 · 1.4.2_11 · 1.4.2_12 · 1.4.2_13 · 1.4.2_14 · 1.4.2_15 · 1.4.2_16 · 1.4.2_17 · ≤ 4.2.18.0 · 5.0 · ≤ 5.0.0.0 · 5.0:update_1 · 5.0:update_2 · 5.0:update_3 · 5.0:update_4 · 5.0:update_5 · 5.0:update_6 · 5.0:update_7 · 5.0:update_8 · 5.0:update_9 · 5.0:update_10 · 5.0:update_11 · 5.0:update_12 · 5.0:update_13 · 5.0:update_14 · 5.0:update_15 · 6 · ≤ 6.0.0.0 · 6:update_1 · 6:update_2 · 6:update_3 · 6:update_4 · 6:update_5 · 6:update_6 · 6:update_7 · 6:update_8 · 6:update_9
nvd	sun	sdk	generic	1.4.2_1 · 1.4.2_2 · 1.4.2_3 · 1.4.2_4 · 1.4.2_5 · 1.4.2_6 · 1.4.2_7 · 1.4.2_8 · 1.4.2_9 · 1.4.2_10 · 1.4.2_11 · 1.4.2_12 · 1.4.2_13 · 1.4.2_14 · 1.4.2_15 · 1.4.2_16 · 1.4.2_17 · ≤ 1.4.2.18

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

sun

jdk

javase

≤ 5.0.0.0 · 5.0:update_1 · 5.0:update_2 · 5.0:update_3 · 5.0:update_4 · 5.0:update_5 · 5.0:update_6 · 5.0:update_7 · 5.0:update_8 · 5.0:update_9 · 5.0:update_10 · 5.0:update_11 · 5.0:update_12 · 5.0:update_13 · 5.0:update_14 · 5.0:update_15 · 6 · ≤ 6.0.0.0 · 6:update_1 · 6:update_2 · 6:update_3 · 6:update_4 · 6:update_5 · 6:update_6 · 6:update_7 · 6:update_8 · 6:update_9

nvd

sun

jre

javase

1.4.2_1 · 1.4.2_2 · 1.4.2_3 · 1.4.2_4 · 1.4.2_5 · 1.4.2_6 · 1.4.2_7 · 1.4.2_8 · 1.4.2_9 · 1.4.2_10 · 1.4.2_11 · 1.4.2_12 · 1.4.2_13 · 1.4.2_14 · 1.4.2_15 · 1.4.2_16 · 1.4.2_17 · ≤ 4.2.18.0 · 5.0 · ≤ 5.0.0.0 · 5.0:update_1 · 5.0:update_2 · 5.0:update_3 · 5.0:update_4 · 5.0:update_5 · 5.0:update_6 · 5.0:update_7 · 5.0:update_8 · 5.0:update_9 · 5.0:update_10 · 5.0:update_11 · 5.0:update_12 · 5.0:update_13 · 5.0:update_14 · 5.0:update_15 · 6 · ≤ 6.0.0.0 · 6:update_1 · 6:update_2 · 6:update_3 · 6:update_4 · 6:update_5 · 6:update_6 · 6:update_7 · 6:update_8 · 6:update_9

nvd

sun

sdk

generic

1.4.2_1 · 1.4.2_2 · 1.4.2_3 · 1.4.2_4 · 1.4.2_5 · 1.4.2_6 · 1.4.2_7 · 1.4.2_8 · 1.4.2_9 · 1.4.2_10 · 1.4.2_11 · 1.4.2_12 · 1.4.2_13 · 1.4.2_14 · 1.4.2_15 · 1.4.2_16 · 1.4.2_17 · ≤ 1.4.2.18

References

URL	Tags
http://blog.cr0.org/2009/05/write-once-own-everyone.html
http://landonf.bikemonkey.org/code/macosx/CVE-2008-5353.20090519.html
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-01/msg00009.html
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-03/msg00001.html
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-04/msg00004.html
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-05/msg00000.html
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=123678756409861&w=2
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=126583436323697&w=2
http://osvdb.org/50500
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2008-1018.html

URL

Timeline

Published	2008-12-05	By the CVE Program.
VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence	2010-01-05	Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.
VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence	2010-05-01	Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.
NVD record modified	2026-06-16	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2008-12-05

By the CVE Program.

VulnCheck KEV: earliest evidence

2010-01-05

Date of the oldest evidence of exploitation in VulnCheck KEV's record. VulnCheck does not publish the date it listed the CVE.

VulnCheck KEV: latest evidence

2010-05-01

Date of the newest report, exploit reference or honeypot sighting in VulnCheck KEV's record.

NVD record modified

2026-06-16

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (5 of 24 rules ran)

5 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification decided it matched Protected by Waratek Found in legacy manual classifications

6 non-java-upstream not reached A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component not reached The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side not reached Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven not reached An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central. When every such package is one business applications do not use (Minecraft mods and launchers, Fastjson) and no tracked product is named by CPE, it settles the CVE as Outside Waratek scope instead

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint not reached A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven not reached The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable not reached An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit not reached Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match not reached A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc not reached Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold not reached Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published not reached Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗