CVE-2009-1973 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Virtual Private Database component in Oracle Database 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.4, and 11.1.0.7 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality and integrity, related to VPD policies.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1973 resides within Oracle Database's Virtual Private Database component, a security feature designed to provide row-level security through policy-based access controls. This unspecified weakness affects multiple versions including 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.4, and 11.1.0.7, representing a significant security gap that could be exploited by authenticated attackers positioned remotely within the network. The vulnerability specifically relates to how VPD policies are processed and enforced, creating potential pathways for unauthorized data access and modification that directly impacts both confidentiality and integrity aspects of the database security model.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of VPD policies that govern which rows of data individual users can access within database tables. When an authenticated user with appropriate privileges attempts to interact with database objects protected by VPD policies, the vulnerability allows for potential bypass of these security controls. This weakness enables attackers to either access data they should not be authorized to view or modify data in ways that violate established security policies. The vulnerability's classification as remote authenticated suggests that exploitation requires the attacker to first establish valid credentials, though once authenticated, the attack vector can be executed from any network location without requiring physical access to the database server.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a serious threat to database security and compliance requirements. Organizations relying on Oracle Database VPD for data protection may find their security controls rendered ineffective, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure and modification. The confidentiality impact is particularly concerning as attackers could access sensitive information that should be restricted to authorized personnel only, while the integrity impact allows for potential data corruption or manipulation that could compromise the accuracy and reliability of database contents. This vulnerability directly violates the principles of least privilege and data protection that form the foundation of database security architecture.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically related to inadequate access control mechanisms within database security features. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 Credential Access and T1046 Network Service Scanning, as the attack requires valid credentials and leverages network-based access to exploit the weakness. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, reviewing and strengthening VPD policy configurations, implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their database environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and proper configuration management for database security features, as even well-intentioned security mechanisms can become exploitable when implementation flaws exist in their design or execution.