CVE-2008-3995 in Database 11i
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Change Data Capture component in Oracle Database 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.4, and 11.1.0.6 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality and integrity, related to DBMS_CDC_PUBLISH.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3995 resides within Oracle Database's Change Data Capture component, specifically in the DBMS_CDC_PUBLISH package. This represents a significant security weakness that affects multiple versions of Oracle Database including 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.4, and 11.1.0.6. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates that the exact technical flaw has not been publicly detailed, but the impact encompasses both confidentiality and integrity breaches, making it particularly concerning for database security. The Change Data Capture functionality is designed to track and capture changes to database tables, making it a critical component for data synchronization and auditing purposes.
The technical flaw within DBMS_CDC_PUBLISH likely involves improper access controls or privilege escalation mechanisms that allow authenticated users to manipulate or access data beyond their intended permissions. This vulnerability operates at the database level and leverages the authenticated user context, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to exploit the weakness. The impact extends to both data confidentiality, where unauthorized information disclosure may occur, and data integrity, where malicious modifications could compromise the accuracy and reliability of database records. Such vulnerabilities in core database components can provide attackers with persistent access to sensitive organizational data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on Oracle Database for critical data management. The ability to affect both confidentiality and integrity simultaneously creates multiple attack vectors for potential data breaches and manipulation. Attackers could potentially access sensitive information through data leakage or corrupt database records through unauthorized modifications, leading to business disruption, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the database infrastructure, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle database patches and updates that address this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected database versions are updated with the latest security fixes. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit access to database systems and reduce the attack surface. Additionally, monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect any suspicious activities related to Change Data Capture operations. Security professionals should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can identify unauthorized access attempts to DBMS_CDC_PUBLISH procedures and other sensitive database functions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and data access manipulation.