CVE-2001-0528 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Applications Desktop Integrator (ADI) version 7.x includes a debug version of FNDPUB11I.DLL, which logs the APPS schema password in cleartext in a debug file, which allows local users to obtain the password and gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0528 affects Oracle E-Business Suite Release 11i Applications Desktop Integrator component, specifically version 7.x implementations. This issue represents a critical security flaw that stems from improper configuration of debugging components within the Oracle application stack. The vulnerability exists within the FNDPUB11I.DLL library, which is part of the Oracle Applications Desktop Integrator framework used for data integration and automation tasks within the enterprise resource planning environment.
The technical flaw manifests through the inclusion of debug code in a production environment, where the FNDPUB11I.DLL component contains hardcoded logging mechanisms that capture and store the APPS schema password in cleartext format within debug log files. This represents a fundamental failure in secure coding practices and configuration management, as sensitive authentication credentials are persistently stored in an unencrypted format. The debug functionality, which should only exist in development or testing environments, has been inadvertently deployed to production systems, creating an exploitable condition that directly exposes the database schema password.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables local users to gain unauthorized access to critical system resources and privileges. The cleartext password exposure allows attackers to escalate their privileges within the Oracle E-Business Suite environment, potentially leading to full system compromise. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft, as the APPS schema typically contains administrative privileges and access to sensitive financial and operational data within the enterprise environment. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-259, which addresses the use of hard-coded passwords, and represents a classic example of insecure configuration management practices.
The security implications of this vulnerability are severe and align with multiple ATT&CK techniques including credential access through hard-coded credentials and privilege escalation. Local users who can access the debug log files gain immediate access to authentication credentials that can be used to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and gain administrative access to the Oracle database. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper environment segmentation and the principle of least privilege in enterprise security deployments. Organizations utilizing Oracle E-Business Suite must implement comprehensive configuration management processes to ensure that debug and development components are not deployed to production environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to remove or disable the debug version of FNDPUB11I.DLL from production systems. Organizations should implement strict change management processes to prevent the deployment of development artifacts to production environments. The recommended approach includes conducting comprehensive security audits of all Oracle E-Business Suite installations to identify and remove debug components, implementing proper file permissions and access controls on debug log directories, and establishing automated monitoring systems to detect unauthorized access to sensitive log files. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that no development or debug components remain in production environments, and that proper security hardening practices are maintained throughout the application lifecycle.