CVE-2006-5351 in APEX
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Oracle Application Express (formerly Oracle HTML DB) 1.5 up to 2.0 have unknown impact and remote attack vectors, aka Vuln# (1) APEX01, (2) APEX02, (3) APEX03, (4) APEX05, (5) APEX06, (6) APEX07, (7) APEX08, (8) APEX09, (9) APEX10, (10) APEX11, (11) APEX12, (12) APEX13, (13) APEX14, (14) APEX15, (15) APEX16, (16) APEX17, (17) APEX18, (18) APEX19, (19) APEX22, (20) APEX23, (21) APEX24, (22) APEX25, (23) APEX26, (24) APEX27, (25) APEX28, (26) APEX29, (27) APEX30, (28) APEX31, (29) APEX32, (30) APEX33, (31) APEX34, and (32) APEX35. NOTE: as of 20061027, it is likely that some of these identifiers are associated with cross-site scripting (XSS) in WWV_FLOW_ITEM_HELP and NOTIFICATION_MSG, but these have been provided separate identifiers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2026
Oracle Application Express represents a web-based development environment that enables rapid application development for oracle databases. The vulnerabilities identified in versions 1.5 through 2.0 constitute a significant security concern due to their unspecified nature and potential for remote exploitation. These vulnerabilities span across multiple components within the application framework and represent a broad attack surface that could potentially allow unauthorized access or manipulation of application data. The lack of specific details in the initial disclosure makes these issues particularly concerning as security professionals cannot immediately assess the scope or severity of individual weaknesses. The naming convention using APEX identifiers suggests a systematic approach to vulnerability categorization within the oracle application development ecosystem, where each identifier corresponds to specific functional areas or code modules within the framework.
The technical implications of these vulnerabilities become more apparent when considering that Oracle Application Express operates as a web application platform that processes user input through various interfaces and components. The unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities indicates that they could potentially affect core application functionality, user authentication mechanisms, or data processing workflows within the framework. The remote attack vectors suggest that these vulnerabilities can be exploited without requiring local system access, making them particularly dangerous as they could be leveraged by attackers from external networks. This characteristic aligns with common security patterns where web application vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute malicious code or access sensitive information through network-based attacks. The fact that multiple vulnerabilities exist within the same version range indicates potential architectural weaknesses or systemic security flaws rather than isolated incidents.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple data exposure or system compromise, as they could potentially enable complete application takeover or data manipulation. Organizations relying on Oracle Application Express for business-critical applications face significant risk if these vulnerabilities remain unaddressed, as they could lead to unauthorized data access, modification of application behavior, or complete system disruption. The presence of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in specific components like WWV_FLOW_ITEM_HELP and NOTIFICATION_MSG further compounds the risk, as XSS attacks can lead to session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites. These vulnerabilities directly relate to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications viewed by other users. The attack surface encompasses both authenticated and unauthenticated attack scenarios, making the threat landscape particularly broad.
Mitigation strategies for these vulnerabilities should focus on immediate patching and implementation of security controls to prevent exploitation. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to patched versions of Oracle Application Express as soon as possible, as the vulnerabilities represent a high-risk attack surface. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers while awaiting official patches. Input validation controls and output encoding should be implemented to reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks, particularly in the identified components. Security monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerabilities demonstrate the importance of comprehensive security testing and vulnerability management processes, as they highlight how multiple weaknesses can exist within a single software platform. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The incident underscores the need for maintaining current security patches and implementing robust security practices throughout the application lifecycle, aligning with the principles outlined in the ATT&CK framework for web application security. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as content security policies, secure coding practices, and regular security awareness training for developers working with Oracle Application Express environments.