CVE-2015-4852
RCE in Oracle Weblogic Server 10.3.6.0.0 … 12.2.1.0.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2015-4852 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Oracle Weblogic Server. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is a deserialization flaw (CWE-502) in the WLS Security component of Oracle WebLogic Server versions 10.3.6.0, 12.1.2.0, 12.1.3.0, and 12.2.1.0. It resides in the bundled Apache Commons Collections library at oracle_common/modules/com.bea.core.apache.commons.collections.jar and is exposed over the T3 protocol on TCP port 7001. The issue permits processing of untrusted serialized Java objects, leading to a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8.
Remote attackers without authentication can exploit the flaw by sending a crafted serialized object in T3 traffic, resulting in arbitrary command execution on the server. The attack requires no user interaction and can be launched over the network with low complexity.
Oracle security advisories CPUApr2017 and CPUJan2018 address the issue through patches that restrict or disable unsafe deserialization paths in the affected WebLogic releases. Public exploit code and technical analyses have been published demonstrating remote code execution against unpatched instances.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2015-4869
Vulnerability Data
The WLS Security component in Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.6.0, 12.1.2.0, 12.1.3.0, and 12.2.1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted serialized Java object in T3 protocol traffic to TCP port 7001, related to oracle_common/modules/com.bea.core.apache.commons.collections.jar. NOTE: the scope…
more
of this CVE is limited to the WebLogic Server product.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 03 November 2021
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing includes validation of deserialization routines and the use of untrusted data, reducing the likelihood that unsafe object reconstruction will be deployed.
Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.
Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.
Mandatory malware scanning of data received over networks or storage media intercepts malicious serialized payloads before they are deserialized by the target application.