CVE-2004-0543 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in Oracle Applications 11.0 and Oracle E-Business Suite 11.5.1 through 11.5.8 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL procedures and queries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
Oracle Applications and E-Business Suite versions 11.0 through 11.5.8 contain multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities that represent critical security flaws in the database interaction layer. These vulnerabilities arise from insufficient input validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the application's SQL query construction mechanisms. The flaw exists in the way the software processes external inputs that are directly incorporated into SQL statements without adequate escaping or parameterization, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate database queries through crafted input sequences. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-89 category of SQL Injection, which is classified as a high-risk weakness in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The attack surface is particularly extensive given that Oracle E-Business Suite serves as a comprehensive enterprise resource planning platform with numerous modules and interfaces that process user input.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. Attackers can leverage these flaws to bypass authentication mechanisms, escalate privileges, and gain deeper access to sensitive enterprise data. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as these vulnerabilities can enable complete database compromise, allowing attackers to execute stored procedures, create new database users, or even gain operating system level access depending on the database configuration and privileges granted to the application accounts. The vulnerability affects multiple components within the Oracle E-Business Suite architecture, including the forms engine, web applications, and various database interfaces that handle user input from different entry points throughout the application stack. This widespread exposure means that a single vulnerability can potentially compromise the entire enterprise database infrastructure.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities is severe for organizations running affected Oracle applications, as they create persistent security risks that can be exploited by attackers without requiring local system access or specialized knowledge of the internal application architecture. Organizations may face significant regulatory compliance issues, data breaches, and potential financial losses due to unauthorized access to sensitive business and customer information. The vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited through web interfaces that are often exposed to the internet, making them accessible to threat actors worldwide. From an adversary perspective, these vulnerabilities align with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1190 for exploitation of remote services, representing a common attack vector in enterprise security breaches. The attack requires minimal sophistication to exploit, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to maximize their impact with minimal effort.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and parameterized query construction across all application interfaces, regular security patching of Oracle applications, and network segmentation to limit access to critical database systems. Database access controls should be reviewed and hardened to ensure that application accounts have minimal necessary privileges. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect unusual database query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their Oracle E-Business Suite installations to identify and remediate all instances of similar input validation flaws. The remediation process should include code reviews, security testing, and implementation of proper input sanitization mechanisms that align with industry best practices for preventing SQL injection attacks. Regular security awareness training for developers and administrators is also essential to prevent recurrence of similar vulnerabilities in future application development cycles.