CVE-2013-2423: Oracle JRE HotSpot integrity flaw allows security manager bypass

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

high priorityIt is in CISA KEV with a very high EPSS score and enables sandbox bypass, but the CVSS 3.1 score is only 3.7 and the technical details are unspecified.

What it is

CVE-2013-2423 is an unspecified vulnerability in the HotSpot component of Oracle Java SE 7 Update 17 and earlier and OpenJDK 7. Oracle's advisory only states it affects integrity via unknown vectors, while the original researcher claims it allows bypassing MethodHandles permission checks and modifying arbitrary public final fields through reflection and type confusion. The record is thin on technical detail, but the flaw matters because it can undermine Java's security manager, a core sandbox control.

Impact

An attacker can affect integrity, potentially bypassing permission checks and modifying fields that should be immutable. The researcher's claim, if accurate, means disabling the security manager and escaping the Java sandbox.

Attack surface

The CVSS vector is network-reachable with no privileges and no user interaction required, so exploitation is remote. The description does not specify the exact entry point, but it relates to HotSpot and MethodHandles handling in the JRE.

Exploitation

CVE-2013-2423 is listed in CISA KEV with a due date of 2022-06-15, and EPSS shows a 30-day probability of 0.85333 (99.7th percentile), indicating high observed exploitation activity. A public Exploit-DB entry (24976) is referenced, though the record does not confirm working exploit code.

What to do

• Apply the Oracle April 2013 CPU update or later for Java SE 7, and the corresponding OpenJDK 7 patch.
• Apply vendor updates for Ubuntu, openSUSE, Red Hat, Gentoo, Mandriva and Mageia per their advisories.
• Remove or disable Java browser plugins and applet execution where not required.
• Restrict outbound and inbound Java-related network access and run Java with the least privilege needed.
• If Java 7 cannot be patched, upgrade to a supported Java release.

Detection

• Monitor for Java processes spawning unexpected child processes or making unusual network connections.
• Alert on JVM crashes or HotSpot errors that may indicate exploitation attempts.
• Review application and system logs for security manager disablement or reflection-related anomalies.
• Use the referenced OVAL definition to scan for vulnerable Java versions.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.