CVE-2000-0987 in Oracle
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in oidldapd in Oracle 8.1.6 allow local users to gain privileges via a long "connect" command line parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0987 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the oidldapd component of Oracle 8.1.6 database software. This issue manifests specifically when processing command line parameters during the execution of the "connect" command, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by local attackers to escalate their privileges. The oidldapd service typically operates as part of Oracle's Directory Server functionality, which provides LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) services for directory information management. The buffer overflow occurs due to insufficient input validation and bounds checking in the parameter parsing logic, allowing an attacker to supply an excessively long string that overflows the allocated buffer space and potentially corrupts adjacent memory regions.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of Buffer Overflow, specifically representing a stack-based buffer overflow that can be exploited through command line argument manipulation. The operational impact of this flaw is significant as it enables local privilege escalation from the current user context to a higher privilege level, potentially allowing attackers to gain administrative access to the Oracle database system. The attack vector requires local system access since the vulnerability is triggered through command line parameter input rather than network-based communication, making it less immediately exposed to remote exploitation but still dangerous in environments where local access is possible. The buffer overflow can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution, system instability, or complete system compromise depending on the specific memory corruption that occurs during the overflow condition.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the classic pattern of stack buffer overflow attacks where an attacker crafts a specially crafted command line parameter containing more data than the allocated buffer can accommodate. When the oidldapd service processes this malformed input, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory locations, potentially overwriting return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures. This memory corruption can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow to malicious code injected by the attacker, effectively enabling privilege escalation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in security-critical applications, particularly in server processes that handle user-supplied data. Organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as address space layout randomization, stack canaries, and non-executable stack protections to mitigate the impact of such buffer overflow vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0987 should focus on immediate patching of the Oracle 8.1.6 software to the latest available security updates from Oracle. System administrators should also implement least privilege principles to limit local access to systems running Oracle database services and monitor for unusual command line parameter usage patterns. Network segmentation and access controls can help reduce the attack surface by limiting local system access to only authorized personnel. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and bounds checking in custom applications that interface with Oracle services can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced. Organizations should also consider conducting regular security assessments and vulnerability scans to identify and remediate similar buffer overflow conditions in their software environments. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against privilege escalation attacks that exploit fundamental programming errors in security-critical applications.