When objects are being serialized using the writeObject() method, if the same object is encountered more than once, it is written to the output stream only once, and after the first occurrence, only a reference to the first occurrence is written to the stream. Correspondingly, the readObject() method resolves references written by writeObject() to multiple occurrences of the same object.
According to the Java API [API 2006], the writeUnshared() method:
writes an "unshared" object to the ObjectOutputStream. This method is identical to writeObject, except that it always writes the given object as a new, unique object in the stream (as opposed to a back-reference pointing to a previously serialized instance).
Correspondingly, the readUnshared() method:
reads an "unshared" object from the ObjectInputStream. This method is identical to readObject, except that it prevents subsequent calls to readObject and readUnshared from returning additional references to the deserialized instance obtained via this call.
This means that to serialize a network of objects containing circular references and then to successfully deserialize the same network the writeUnshared()/readUnshared() methods must not be used.
Consider the following code example.
public class Person {
private String name;
Person() {
// do nothing - needed for serialization
}
Person(String theName) {
name = theName;
}
public String getName () {
return name;
}
// other details not relevant to this example
}
public class Student extends Person implements Serializable {
private Professor tutor;
Student(){
// do nothing - needed for serialization
}
Student(String theName, Professor theTutor) {
super(theName);
tutor = theTutor;
}
public Professor getTutor() {
return tutor;
}
}
public class Professor extends Person implements Serializable {
private ArrayList<Student> tutees = new ArrayList<Student>();
Professor(){
// do nothing - needed for serialization
}
Professor(String theName) {
super(theName);
}
public ArrayList<Student> getTutees () {
return tutees;
}
/*
* checkTutees checks that all the tutees
* have this Professor as their tutor
*/
public boolean checkTutees () {
boolean result = true;
for(Student stu: tutees) {
if (stu.getTutor() != this) {
result = false;
break;
}
}
return result;
}
}
// ...
Professor jane = new Professor("Jane");
Student able = new Student("Able", jane);
Student baker = new Student("Baker", jane);
Student charlie = new Student("Charlie", jane);
jane.getTutees().add(able);
jane.getTutees().add(baker);
jane.getTutees().add(charlie);
System.out.println("checkTutees returns: " + jane.checkTutees());
// prints "checkTutees returns: true"
Professor and Students are types that extend the basic type Person. A student (i.e., an object of type Student) has a tutor of type Professor. A professor (i.e., an object of type Professor) has a list (actually, an ArrayList) of tutees (of type Student). The method checkTutees() checks whether all of the tutees of this professor have this professor as their tutor, returning true if that is the case and false otherwise. We then create Professor Jane who has three tutees, Able, Baker, and Charlie, all of whom have Professor Jane as their tutor. The println() statement prints true.
Noncompliant Code Example
This noncompliant code example attempts to serialize the data from the example above using writeUnshared(). However, when the data is deserialized using readUnshared(), the checkTutees() method no longer returns true because the tutor objects of the three students are different objects from the original Professor object.
String filename = "serial";
try {
System.out.println("Serializing using writeUnshared");
ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream
(new FileOutputStream(filename));
oos.writeUnshared(jane);
oos.close();
System.out.println("Deserializing using readUnshared");
ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream
(new FileInputStream(filename));
Professor jane2 = (Professor)ois.readUnshared();
ois.close();
System.out.println("checkTutees returns: " +
jane3.checkTutees());
// prints "checkTutees returns: false"
} catch(Exception e) {
System.out.println("Exception during deserialization" + e);
}
Compliant Solution
This compliant solution overcomes the problem of the noncompliant code example by using writeObject() and readObject(), ensuring that the tutor objects of the three students are the same as the original Professor object.
String filename = "serial";
try {
System.out.println("Serializing using writeObject");
ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream
(new FileOutputStream(filename));
oos.writeObject(jane);
oos.close();
System.out.println("Deserializing using readObject");
ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream
(new FileInputStream(filename));
Professor jane2 = (Professor)ois.readObject();
ois.close();
System.out.println("checkTutees returns: " +
jane2.checkTutees());
// prints "checkTutees returns: true"
} catch(Exception e) {
System.out.println("Exception during deserialization" + e);
}
Risk Assessment
Using the writeUnshared() and readUnshared() methods may produce unexpected results.
Guideline | Severity | Likelihood | Remediation Cost | Priority | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSC62-JG | medium | low | low | P6 | L2 |
Automated Detection
Automated detection is straightforward.
Related Vulnerabilities
Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this guideline on the CERT website.
Bibliography