CVE-2012-4681
Multiple vulnerabilities in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 6 and earlier allow remote attackers…
- 9.8CriticalCVSS base score
- 98.5%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 3 Mar 2022
- 2Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
Multiple vulnerabilities in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 6 and earlier allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted applet that bypasses SecurityManager restrictions by (1) using com.sun.beans.finder.ClassFinder.findClass and leveraging an exception with the forName method to access restricted classes from arbitrary packages such as sun.awt.SunToolkit, then (2) using "reflection with a trusted immediate caller" to leverage the getField method to access and modify private fields, as exploited in the wild in August 2012 using Gondzz.class and Gondvv.class.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Mar 2022
- Fix due (US federal)
- 24 Mar 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 3 Mar 2022.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module and an Exploit-DB entry for it. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits2
Metasploit modules1 module
- Java 7 Applet Remote Code Execution (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/multi/browser/java_jre17_execRank excellentdisclosed 26 Aug 2012
Exploit-DB1 entry
- Java 7 Applet - Remote Code Execution (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 20865remote, javapublished 27 Aug 2012Verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
- 1 day later
· 1 day later
Published
- 10 years later
· 10 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 98.5% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.8.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
14
- http://blog.fireeye.com/research/2012/08/zero-day-season-is-not-over-yet.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- SUSE-SU-2012:1398 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEx_transferred
- SUSE-SU-2012:1231 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEx_transferred
- TA12-240A (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERTx_transferred
- http://labs.alienvault.com/labs/index.php/2012/new-java-0day-exploited-in-the-wild/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- SSRT100970 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_HPx_transferred
- https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2012/08/27/lets-start-the-week-with-a-new-java-0day (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.deependresearch.org/2012/08/java-7-vulnerability-analysis.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/alert-cve-2012-4681-1835715.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- RHSA-2012:1225 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- http://immunityproducts.blogspot.com/2012/08/java-0day-analysis-cve-2012-4681.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 51044 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- 55213 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-4681 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2012-4606 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2012-4681)Record last updated .