CVE-2013-2465

What is Oracle Java SE?

Oracle Java SE includes the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) which powers both browser applets (via the Java Plugin) and standalone desktop applications. The 2D library (java.awt.image, sun.java2d) handles image rendering including bitmap image operations. Vulnerabilities in image processing libraries are high-value: they can often be triggered remotely (via a page embedding a Java applet that processes a malicious image) and the processing code handles attacker-controlled data directly.

Overview

CVE-2013-2465 is an unspecified vulnerability in the Java 2D image processing library of Oracle Java SE. The flaw relates to integer overflow in 2D image handling, with vectors related to bitmap processing. Successful exploitation results in full compromise — confidentiality, integrity, and availability — reflected in the CVSS 9.8 critical rating. CISA confirmed ransomware actors used this vulnerability in campaigns targeting systems running outdated Java versions.

Oracle patched this in the June 2013 Critical Patch Update, fixing it in Java SE 7u25, 6u51, and 5u51.

Affected Versions

Technical Details

The Java 2D library handles rasterization, image scaling, and pixel format conversion. Integer overflow vulnerabilities in image processing typically occur when width, height, or stride values are used in arithmetic to calculate buffer sizes or offsets, and the resulting product wraps around — causing allocation of an undersized buffer that is subsequently overflowed with attacker-controlled pixel data.

In CVE-2013-2465, image-related integer overflow in the 2D library allows an untrusted Java applet or application to corrupt memory. Since Java applets run inside the JVM security sandbox, the overflow must achieve enough memory control to escape sandbox restrictions and execute native code — the full C/I/A CVSS impact confirms that code execution outside the JVM sandbox is achievable.

Exploit kit integration: Java vulnerabilities with CVSS 9.8 and no user interaction requirement (UI:N) are immediately prioritized by exploit kit authors. The compact exploit code fits in a browser-delivered applet and requires only that the victim's browser have the Java plugin enabled with a vulnerable version. By mid-2013, Java CVEs typically appeared in Blackhole and Cool EK within weeks of disclosure.

Ransomware delivery: CISA confirmed ransomware use, consistent with the 2013 ransomware landscape where CryptoLocker and contemporaries used exploit kits (including Java exploits) as delivery mechanisms.

Discovery

Reported to Oracle through the vulnerability disclosure process and fixed in the June 2013 Critical Patch Update.

Exploitation Context

CISA confirmed ransomware use of CVE-2013-2465. The vulnerability was incorporated into exploit kits targeting Java browser plugin users — systems where users had not updated Java for months or years were standard targets. In 2013, Java was still widely deployed as a browser plugin (a use case Oracle subsequently deprecated), making Java exploit kits effective at scale against corporate and consumer systems alike.

Remediation

1. Update to Java SE 7u25 (or 6u51 / 5u51) — the June 2013 CPU patches this vulnerability
2. Oracle Java SE 6 and 5 are end-of-life — migrate to Java 11 LTS or Java 17 LTS
3. Disable the Java browser plugin entirely — Oracle removed the plugin from Java 9 onward; it was never included in OpenJDK. If still running Java 8 with browser plugin, disable it in the Java Control Panel and browser settings
4. For enterprise Java deployments: standardize on a current Java LTS version (11 or 17) and maintain it through patch cycles
5. Enable Java automatic updates to keep the runtime current