CVE-2002-1637 in Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple components in Oracle 9i Application Server (9iAS) are installed with over 160 default usernames and passwords, including (1) SYS, (2) SYSTEM, (3) AQJAVA, (4) OWA, (5) IMAGEUSER, (6) USER1, (7) USER2, (8) PLSQL, (9) DEMO, (10) FINANCE, and many others, which allows attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2024
Oracle 9i Application Server version 9.0.2.0.0 contains a critical security flaw that exposes over 160 default credentials across multiple components of the application server infrastructure. This vulnerability represents a fundamental misconfiguration issue that directly violates security best practices and creates an immediate attack surface for malicious actors. The affected components include core administrative accounts such as SYS and SYSTEM which are typically reserved for database administration tasks, along with specialized accounts like AQJAVA for advanced queue processing, OWA for web application development, IMAGEUSER for image handling, and various user accounts including USER1 through USER2, PLSQL, DEMO, and FINANCE. These default credentials are hardcoded into the software installation and remain unchanged unless explicitly modified by administrators during deployment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from the fact that default authentication credentials are not properly secured or changed during installation processes. This flaw aligns with CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a classic case of insecure default configuration. Attackers can leverage these known credentials to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to the application server components. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft since many of these accounts possess elevated privileges within their respective subsystems. For instance, the SYS account typically provides database administrative access, while SYSTEM account access may enable modification of critical system configurations. The presence of multiple accounts with default credentials creates a cascading risk where compromising one account may provide access to additional system components through privilege escalation or lateral movement.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates an immediate and severe risk to organizations deploying Oracle 9i Application Server. The attack surface is significantly expanded due to the large number of default credentials available, making automated exploitation tools highly effective against vulnerable installations. This vulnerability directly maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including credential access through default credentials and privilege escalation via account manipulation. Organizations utilizing this application server version face the risk of complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Oracle 9i Application Server was widely deployed in enterprise environments, and many organizations may have left default credentials in place during initial setup, especially in legacy systems where security updates were not consistently applied. The long-term impact includes potential regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage from data breaches that could result from unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve immediate credential management actions including changing all default passwords to strong, unique values for each account. Organizations should implement comprehensive credential rotation policies and ensure that default accounts are either disabled or removed from production environments. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that only necessary accounts remain active and that all administrative accounts have strong authentication mechanisms in place. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all instances of Oracle 9i Application Server and verify that default credentials have been properly changed. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to validate that no default credentials remain accessible, and network segmentation should be implemented to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. System hardening procedures should be established to prevent the use of default configurations in future deployments, aligning with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 requirements for secure system configuration management.