CVE-1999-0711 in Oracle8i
Summary
by MITRE
The oratclsh interpreter in Oracle 8.x Intelligent Agent for Unix allows local users to execute Tcl commands as root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-0711 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Oracle 8.x Intelligent Agent for Unix systems. This vulnerability specifically affects the oratclsh interpreter component that is part of Oracle's Intelligent Agent suite, which was designed to provide remote management capabilities for Oracle database environments. The flaw stems from improper privilege handling within the Tcl interpreter, creating a pathway for local attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated root privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the oratclsh interpreter's failure to properly drop privileges after initialization. When the Oracle Intelligent Agent starts, it typically runs with root privileges to perform system-level operations required for database management. However, the oratclsh interpreter within this agent does not adequately restrict the execution context, allowing local users to inject and execute Tcl commands that are processed with the elevated privileges of the running agent. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where a local user can leverage a system component to gain unauthorized administrative access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations running affected Oracle 8.x Intelligent Agent installations. Local attackers who can access the system with basic user privileges can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary commands as root, effectively compromising the entire system. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of Unix systems by allowing privilege escalation without requiring additional attack vectors or credentials. The implications extend beyond simple command execution, as attackers could potentially modify system files, install backdoors, or extract sensitive database information through the compromised agent.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-276, which describes improper privilege management in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local exploitation. The flaw demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege implementation within Oracle's Intelligent Agent, where the system does not properly restrict the execution context of interpreted commands. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Oracle 8.x Intelligent Agent, disabling unnecessary components, or restricting local access to systems running affected software. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of privilege separation in system design and the critical need for proper sandboxing of interpreted code execution contexts. Security administrators should conduct thorough assessments of all Oracle installations to identify and remediate similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in their environments.