CVE-2007-6480 in Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
The Oracle database component in Sun Management Center (Sun MC) 3.6.1, 3.6, and 3.5 Update 1 has a default account, which allows remote attackers to obtain database access and execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6480 affects the Sun Management Center 3.6.1, 3.6, and 3.5 Update 1 versions where the Oracle database component contains a default account with weak authentication credentials. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper credential management. The presence of default accounts in production systems constitutes a well-documented security risk pattern that has been consistently identified across multiple industry frameworks including CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and CWE-259, which covers the use of weak passwords. The vulnerability exists within the Sun Management Center application suite, which is designed for enterprise system management and monitoring, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to critical infrastructure components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the inclusion of hardcoded default credentials within the Oracle database component that ships with these Sun Management Center versions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by simply connecting to the database service using the known default account credentials, bypassing any legitimate authentication mechanisms. This default account typically provides administrative privileges within the database context, allowing unauthorized users to perform operations such as reading sensitive data, modifying database structures, creating new database users, and executing arbitrary code through database stored procedures or operating system command execution capabilities. The vulnerability specifically enables remote code execution through database access, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1059.006 for command and script injection through database interfaces. The attack vector requires no specialized tools beyond standard network connectivity and basic database client utilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to represent a significant threat to enterprise security infrastructure. Once attackers establish database access through the default account, they can leverage this foothold to escalate privileges and move laterally within the network, potentially compromising other systems that rely on the same database or management center services. The vulnerability affects organizations using Sun Management Center for monitoring and managing their enterprise systems, which often includes critical infrastructure components such as servers, storage systems, and network devices. This creates a substantial risk for organizations that may not immediately detect unauthorized access to their management systems, as the default account credentials provide administrative capabilities that can be used to modify system configurations, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent backdoors. The long-term implications include potential compliance violations under various regulatory frameworks such as SOX, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS that require proper access controls and authentication mechanisms. Organizations may also face reputational damage and financial losses due to the potential for data breaches or system compromise that could result from this vulnerability.
Organizations should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves changing the default account credentials to strong, unique passwords and ensuring that default accounts are disabled or removed from production environments. Security administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of all systems to identify and remediate similar default account vulnerabilities across the enterprise infrastructure. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to management systems and database components, following the principle of least privilege. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potential default accounts or weak credential configurations. Additionally, organizations should implement proper account management policies that include regular credential rotation, privileged access management controls, and monitoring of authentication attempts to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include updating to supported versions of Sun Management Center where the default account vulnerabilities have been addressed, as these older versions may contain additional security flaws that compound the risk. System hardening procedures should be implemented to ensure that default accounts are not enabled in new installations, and that proper access controls are enforced through centralized authentication systems such as LDAP or Active Directory.