CVE-2006-7216 in Derby
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Derby before 10.2.1.6 does not determine privilege requirements for lock table statements at compilation time, and consequently does not enforce privilege requirements at execution time, which allows remote authenticated users to lock arbitrary tables.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2018
Apache Derby version 10.2.1.5 and earlier contains a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that stems from improper access control implementation during lock table operations. This vulnerability exists within the database management system's privilege checking mechanism, specifically affecting how the system handles lock table statements. The flaw manifests because Derby fails to evaluate privilege requirements during the compilation phase of lock table operations, resulting in a complete absence of privilege enforcement when these statements execute. This design oversight creates a scenario where authenticated remote attackers can manipulate the database locking mechanism to target any table within the system regardless of their actual permissions or access rights.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of lock table statements that allow users to acquire locks on database tables. When Derby processes these statements, it does not validate whether the authenticated user possesses the necessary privileges to lock the targeted table at execution time. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where the system should verify access rights before granting lock operations on database resources. The vulnerability specifically affects the database engine's authorization subsystem, which is responsible for managing user permissions and access controls. According to CWE-284, this issue constitutes an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions, allowing unauthorized operations on protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables authenticated attackers to perform table locking operations that could lead to various malicious activities including denial of service attacks, data manipulation attempts, or information disclosure through lock contention. Attackers can lock tables that they should not have access to, potentially causing legitimate database operations to block or fail, thereby creating service disruption. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks where users can gain unauthorized access to tables they normally couldn't access, potentially leading to data breaches or unauthorized modifications. This weakness directly violates the database security principle of access control enforcement and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to system resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Apache Derby installations to version 10.2.1.6 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for privilege enforcement during lock table operations. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit remote access to database servers, reducing the attack surface for authenticated users. Database administrators should regularly audit user privileges and monitor for unusual lock table activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper database access logging and monitoring systems can help detect unauthorized lock operations. The fix addresses the root cause by ensuring that privilege checks occur at compilation time for lock table statements, thereby preventing execution of unauthorized lock operations. Security teams should also consider implementing database activity monitoring tools that can detect anomalous locking patterns and alert administrators to potential exploitation attempts.