CVE-2025-21587: Oracle JRE Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-21587 Overview

Vulnerability in the Oracle Java SE, Oracle GraalVM for JDK, Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Java SE (component: JSSE). Supported versions that are affected are Oracle Java SE:8u441, 8u441-perf, 11.0.26, 17.0.14, 21.0.6, 24; Oracle GraalVM for JDK:17.0.14, 21.0.6, 24; Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition:20.3.17 and 21.3.13. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers with network access to compromise the systems, potentially allowing unauthorized access and modification of critical data.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or administrative functionalities.

Affected Products

• Oracle Java SE (8u441, 8u441-perf, 11.0.26, 17.0.14, 21.0.6, 24)
• Oracle GraalVM for JDK (17.0.14, 21.0.6, 24)
• Oracle GraalVM Enterprise Edition (20.3.17, 21.3.13)

Discovery Timeline

• Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
• Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Oracle
• Not Available - CVE CVE-2025-21587 assigned
• Not Available - Oracle releases security patch
• 2025-04-15 - CVE CVE-2025-21587 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-21587

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability in the JSSE component of Oracle Java SE allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impact the confidentiality and integrity of the affected system. Exploitation through APIs used in web services could potentially bypass security mechanisms, allowing unauthorized data access and manipulation.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation within the JSSE component, which can be leveraged through crafted network requests to gain unauthorized access.

Attack Vector

High-complexity attack vector with network-based access, potentially resulting in unauthorized data access.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
import javax.net.ssl.*;
...
// Establish a connection that abuses the JSSE validation flaw
SSLSocketFactory factory = (SSLSocketFactory) SSLSocketFactory.getDefault();
try (SSLSocket socket = (SSLSocket) factory.createSocket(host, port)) {
    // Interact with the socket
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-21587

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound traffic from affected components
• Unauthorized access logs to Java applications
• Suspicious API request patterns

Detection Strategies

Implement network-based monitoring to flag abnormal traffic patterns associated with JSSE interactions. Utilize SentinelOne’s detection capabilities to identify unauthorized data accesses and integrity breaches.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly audit Java application logs for unauthorized access attempts and evaluate network traffic for anomalies, particularly focusing on endpoints communicating over known vulnerable Java versions.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-21587

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable vulnerable Java components if feasible
• Isolate affected systems from sensitive networks
• Apply network segmentation tactics

Patch Information

Oracle has issued a patch to address this vulnerability. Refer to the Oracle security advisory for update instructions.

Workarounds

Ensure updated security policies are enforced within network boundaries, and use intrusion detection systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts.

# Configuration example
sudo systemctl stop java-application
# Apply network firewall rules
echo "Blocking suspicious IPs"
iptables -A INPUT -s suspicious_ip -j DROP