CVE-2008-3974 in Database 9i
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle OLAP component in Oracle Database 9.0.2.8 and 9.2.0.8DV allows remote authenticated users to affect availability, related to SYS.OLAPIMPL_T.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3974 resides within the Oracle OLAP component of Oracle Database versions 9.0.2.8 and 9.2.0.8DV, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to compromise system availability. This issue specifically impacts the SYS.OLAPIMPL_T object within the database architecture, which serves as a foundational element for Oracle's Online Analytical Processing functionality. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests a complex underlying flaw that may involve multiple attack vectors or a subtle logical error within the component's implementation.
The technical flaw manifests through the manipulation of the SYS.OLAPIMPL_T object, which likely involves improper input validation or resource management within the OLAP processing engine. This vulnerability operates under the premise that attackers must already possess valid authentication credentials to the database system, making it a privilege escalation or availability attack rather than a direct exploitation of authentication bypasses. The impact extends beyond simple data manipulation to system availability, indicating potential for denial-of-service conditions that could render database services inaccessible to legitimate users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on Oracle Database 9.x versions for analytical processing and business intelligence workloads. The availability impact means that successful exploitation could result in complete service disruption, affecting critical business operations that depend on OLAP reporting and data analysis capabilities. Attackers could potentially cause database crashes, process terminations, or resource exhaustion that would require manual intervention and system restarts to restore normal operations.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses "Improper Access to Resources via Universal Resource Identifier" and CWE-20, "Improper Input Validation," as the flaw likely involves inadequate validation of inputs passed to the OLAPIMPL_T component. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, "Endpoint Denial of Service," and potentially T1566.001, "Phishing via Social Engineering," if the initial authentication credentials are obtained through social engineering attacks. Organizations should prioritize patch management and consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to database systems, particularly those running vulnerable Oracle Database versions.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Oracle's security patches and updates, along with comprehensive monitoring of database access logs for suspicious activities related to OLAP operations. Database administrators should implement principle of least privilege access controls and consider disabling unnecessary OLAP functionality when not required for business operations. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues within other database components and ensure overall system resilience against similar availability-focused attacks that could compromise business continuity and data integrity.