CVE-2025-21502: Oracle GraalVM Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-21502 Overview

Vulnerability in the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Java SE (component: Hotspot). Supported versions affected include Oracle Java SE: 8u431-perf, 11.0.25, 17.0.13, 21.0.5, 23.0.1; Oracle GraalVM for JDK: 17.0.13, 21.0.5, 23.0.1; Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition: 20.3.16, 21.3.12. Difficult to exploit, this vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise affected systems, potentially leading to unauthorized updates or data access.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability can facilitate unauthorized updates and access to sensitive data within the Oracle Java SE ecosystem.

Affected Products

• Oracle GraalVM
• Oracle GraalVM for JDK
• Oracle JDK
• Oracle JRE
• Debian Linux
• NetApp products

Discovery Timeline

• Not Available - Vulnerability discovered
• Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Oracle
• Not Available - CVE CVE-2025-21502 assigned
• Not Available - Oracle releases security patch
• 2025-01-21 - CVE CVE-2025-21502 published to NVD
• 2025-06-18 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-21502

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Hotspot component of Oracle Java SE, allowing exploitation through APIs, potentially via a web service that supplies malicious data. When exploited, it can lead to unauthorized data manipulation and exposure.

Root Cause

The root cause is attributed to improper access control within the Hotspot component, leading to Unauthorized Access CWE-863.

Attack Vector

Network-based attacks exploiting multiple protocols can trigger this vulnerability.

// Example exploitation scenario (illustrative only)
public class Exploit {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      String maliciousData = "..."; // Payload
      VulnerableAPI.invoke(maliciousData);
   }
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-21502

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual network traffic patterns
• Unexpected data modifications
• Logs showing unusual access requests

Detection Strategies

Leverage SentinelOne's AI-driven behavioral analysis to detect suspicious activities associated with unauthorized data operations and network traffic anomalies.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly monitor network logs and deploy advanced threat intelligence solutions to identify and block exploitation attempts. Utilize SentinelOne's real-time monitoring for proactive threat hunting.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-21502

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply Oracle's latest security patches
• Implement network access controls
• Isolate affected services temporarily

Patch Information

Refer to Oracle's January 2025 Critical Patch Update for comprehensive patching guidelines.

Workarounds

Employ access controls to minimize exposure. Restrict execution of untrusted code within sandboxes.

# Example mitigation command
iptables -A INPUT -s [malicious_ip] -j DROP