CVE-2013-0422

Multiple vulnerabilities in Oracle Java 7 before Update 11 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by (1) using the public getMBeanInstantiator method in the JmxMBeanServer class to obtain a reference to a private MBeanInstantiator object, then retrieving arbitrary Class references using the findClass method, and (2) using the Reflection API with recursion in a way that bypasses a security check by the java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles.Lookup.checkSecurityManager method due to the inability of the sun.reflect.Reflection.getCallerClass method to skip frames related to the new reflection API, as exploited in the wild in January 2013, as demonstrated by Blackhole and Nuclear Pack, and a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-4681 and CVE-2012-3174. NOTE: some parties have mapped the recursive Reflection API issue to CVE-2012-3174, but CVE-2012-3174 is for a different vulnerability whose details are not public as of 20130114. CVE-2013-0422 covers both the JMX/MBean and Reflection API issues. NOTE: it was originally reported that Java 6 was also vulnerable, but the reporter has retracted this claim, stating that Java 6 is not exploitable because the relevant code is called in a way that does not bypass security checks. NOTE: as of 20130114, a reliable third party has claimed that the findClass/MBeanInstantiator vector was not fixed in Oracle Java 7 Update 11. If there is still a vulnerable condition, then a separate CVE identifier might be created for the unfixed issue.

CVSS: 9.8Criticalscored by CISA
Exploited in the wild: Yes, in CISA KEV since 25 May 2022CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 15 Jun 2022known use in ransomware campaignspublic exploit code
EPSS: 97.1%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.2% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
Fix: Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
Published: 10 Jan 2013analysed here 12 Nov 2026

Do first. Apply updates per vendor instructions. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)

Summary

Triage

Exploitable: At runtime
Attack vector: network
Weakness: CWE-284 Common Weakness
Can a WAF block it?: Partly. See why

The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.

Affected products

Products named in our analysis

oracle:jdk
oracle:jre
canonical:ubuntu_linux
opensuse:opensuse

Fix and mitigation

WAF and other mitigations

Can a WAF block it? Partly. The bug can be reached over the network, so generic WAF rules may stop some attacks. Its weakness type is unknown, so we cannot be more precise.

Also consider: patch

Based on the weakness type only; no CVE-specific evidence yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.

Remediation steps (AI-written)

Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

Exploitation evidence

CISA KEV catalog: Listed since 25 May 2022. Known use in ransomware campaigns.
CISA due date: 15 Jun 2022, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Public exploit code: Yes: 1 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module
CISA SSVC: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 10 Feb 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.

Exploit-DB

Java Applet JMX - Remote Code Execution (Metasploit) (1)remote, 11 Jan 2013, verified by Exploit-DB

Metasploit

exploit/multi/browser/java_jre17_jmxbeanexploit, rank excellent

Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.

Timeline

10 Jan 2013Published
11 Jan 2013First public exploit or proof of conceptsame day later
25 May 2022Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)3,421 days (about 9 years) later
15 Jun 2022CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)21 days later
10 Feb 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active972 days (about 3 years) later
22 Oct 2025CVE record last updated253 days (about 8 months) later
12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com387 days (about 1 year) later

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Metric	Value	What it means
Attack vector	NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network.	Reachable over the internet or any routable network.
Attack complexity	LowRepeatable attack, no special conditions.	Repeatable attack, no special conditions.
Privileges required	NoneThe attacker needs no prior access.	The attacker needs no prior access.
User interaction	NoneNo victim action needed.	No victim action needed.
Scope	UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.	Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality	HighTotal data disclosure possible.	Total data disclosure possible.
Integrity	HighComplete modification possible.	Complete modification possible.
Availability	HighFull outage possible.	Full outage possible.

Common questions

Is CVE-2013-0422 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2013-0422 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.

How severe is CVE-2013-0422?

CVE-2013-0422 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2013-0422?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2013-0422. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2013-0422 affect?

CVE-2013-0422 affects oracle:jdk, oracle:jre, canonical:ubuntu_linux, opensuse:opensuse. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

References

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

20 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.

Advisories (7)

rhn.redhat.com /errata/RHSA-2013-0156.html
mandriva.com /security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:095
lists.opensuse.org /opensuse-security-announce/2013-01/msg00025.html
rhn.redhat.com /errata/RHSA-2013-0165.html
kb.cert.org /vuls/id/625617
us-cert.gov /cas/techalerts/TA13-010A.html

Show 1 more

ubuntu.com /usn/USN-1693-1

Where the data on this page comes from

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
Exploit-DB: published exploits
Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules

Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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