`CVE-2013-1488` Oracle JRE

Affected software	Oracle JRE
Affected versions	7 Update 17 and before
Severity	10.0 High CVSS 2.0
Fixed in	Java SE CPU Apr 2013
Weakness	Code injection (CWE-94)
Published	8 Mar 2013
Updated	16 Jun 2026

Description

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 17 and earlier, and OpenJDK 6 and 7, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors involving reflection, Libraries, "improper toString calls," and the JDBC driver manager, as demonstrated by James Forshaw during a Pwn2Own competition at CanSecWest 2013.

Exploitation status

Working exploit published

A reviewed exploit catalogue lists ready-to-run exploit code for this CVE.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment no assessment published
Indexed PoC 3 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in Exploit-DB, GitHub PoC, Metasploit; first seen 2013-06-11.
EPSS 87% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99.8% of all scored CVEs.

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	PoC Java exploit based on http://www.contextis.com/research/blog/java-pwn2own/	4	2015-04-16
Exploit-DB	Java Applet - Driver Manager Privileged 'toString()' Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)		2013-06-11
Metasploit	Java Applet Driver Manager Privileged toString() Remote Code Execution (excellent rank)

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

PoC Java exploit based on http://www.contextis.com/research/blog/java-pwn2own/

2015-04-16

Exploit-DB

Java Applet - Driver Manager Privileged 'toString()' Remote Code Execution (Metasploit)

2013-06-11

Metasploit

Java Applet Driver Manager Privileged toString() Remote Code Execution (excellent rank)

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

Protection none
Action not pursued none
Review automated Upstream data
Record active

Decided by	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
Finding	The Java SE CPU Apr 2013 advisory says this vulnerability is reached only through untrusted code running in the Java sandbox, such as an applet or a Web Start application: "Applies to client deployment of Java only. This vulnerability can be exploited only through untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets. (Untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted applets run in the Java sandbox with limited privileges.)" A server JVM that runs only its own trusted code is not exposed, so there is nothing for the agent to protect.

Decided by

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

Finding

The Java SE CPU Apr 2013 advisory says this vulnerability is reached only through untrusted code running in the Java sandbox, such as an applet or a Web Start application: "Applies to client deployment of Java only. This vulnerability can be exploited only through untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets. (Untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted applets run in the Java sandbox with limited privileges.)" A server JVM that runs only its own trusted code is not exposed, so there is nothing for the agent to protect.

Affected software and releases

Oracle advisories

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle names in its risk matrix
Java SE CPU Apr 2013 ↗	CPU	2013-Q2	Oracle Java SE / Java Runtime Environment (7 Update 17 and before) Oracle's note: Applies to client deployment of Java only. This vulnerability can be exploited only through untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets. (Untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted applets run in the Java sandbox with limited privileges.)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Java SE CPU Apr 2013 ↗

CPU

2013-Q2

Oracle Java SE / Java Runtime Environment (7 Update 17 and before)
Oracle's note: Applies to client deployment of Java only. This vulnerability can be exploited only through untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted Java applets. (Untrusted Java Web Start applications and untrusted applets run in the Java sandbox with limited privileges.)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Java SE	Java Runtime Environment	7 Update 17 and before

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Java SE

Java Runtime Environment

7 Update 17 and before

Products and versions

2 products, 2 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	oracle	jdk	javase	1.7.0:update17
nvd	oracle	jre	javase	1.7.0:update17

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

oracle

jdk

javase

1.7.0:update17

nvd

oracle

jre

javase

1.7.0:update17

References

URL	Tags
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013:0751	ADVISORY, RHSA-2013:0751
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2013-1488	REPORT, RHSA-2013:0751
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013:0752	ADVISORY, RHSA-2013:0752
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013:0770	ADVISORY, RHSA-2013:0770
http://blog.fuseyism.com/index.php/2013/04/22/security-icedtea-2-3-9-for-openjdk-7-released/
http://blog.fuseyism.com/index.php/2013/04/25/security-icedtea-1-11-11-1-12-5-for-openjdk-6-released/
http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Security-Research-Blog/Pwn2Own-2013/ba-p/5981157
http://hg.openjdk.java.net/jdk7u/jdk7u-dev/jdk/rev/a19614a3dabb
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-05/msg00007.html
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-05/msg00017.html

URL

Timeline

Published	2013-03-08	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-16	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2013-03-08

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-16

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

How VRT decided (8 of 24 rules ran)

8 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 no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match 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 decided it matched Outside Waratek scope Java SE CPU Apr 2013 risk-matrix note limits it to untrusted code in the Java sandbox

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

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