CVE-2010-4449 in Audit Vault
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Audit Vault component in Oracle Audit Vault 10.2.3.2 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the January 2011 CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from a reliable third party coordinator that this issue is related to a crafted parameter in an action.execute request to the av component on TCP port 5700.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4449 resides within Oracle Audit Vault's Audit Vault component version 10.2.3.2, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. This unspecified vulnerability manifests through unknown attack vectors that pose significant risks to enterprise security infrastructures relying on Oracle Audit Vault for database auditing and compliance monitoring. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified suggests that the exact technical details of the flaw were not fully disclosed in the initial reporting, creating challenges for security professionals attempting to assess and mitigate the risk. The lack of detailed technical information in the original CVE description indicates that this vulnerability may have been discovered through advanced exploitation techniques or may have required specific environmental conditions to be successfully exploited.
The security implications of CVE-2010-4449 extend beyond typical database vulnerabilities due to the nature of Audit Vault's role in enterprise security monitoring and compliance enforcement. Audit Vault serves as a critical component for collecting, analyzing, and reporting on database activities, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise sensitive audit data or disrupt security monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability's potential to affect confidentiality means that attackers could gain unauthorized access to audit logs and sensitive database activity information, while the integrity impact suggests possible data manipulation or corruption of audit records. The availability component indicates that attackers might be able to disrupt the Audit Vault service itself, potentially preventing legitimate users from accessing critical security information or performing necessary auditing functions.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability is specifically tied to a crafted parameter within an action.execute request directed to the av component operating on TCP port 5700, as noted by the third-party coordinator. This port-specific attack vector suggests that the vulnerability exists within the network communication protocols used by Oracle Audit Vault for remote management and administrative operations. The TCP port 5700 represents a designated endpoint for Audit Vault's administrative functions, making it a logical target for exploitation attempts. The action.execute request mechanism likely provides remote administrative capabilities that could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or manipulate system parameters. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which describes weaknesses in the design or implementation of input validation and parameter handling, and may also relate to CWE-20, which covers input validation issues in software components.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-4449 extends significantly beyond immediate security concerns, potentially affecting an organization's compliance posture and overall security architecture. Organizations using Oracle Audit Vault for regulatory compliance monitoring face serious risks when this vulnerability exists, as attackers could compromise audit trails that are critical for meeting regulatory requirements such as SOX, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS standards. The vulnerability's potential to affect availability could disrupt security monitoring operations, leaving organizations blind to ongoing attacks or security incidents. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a pathway to manipulate audit data, potentially covering malicious activities or disrupting security controls that depend on accurate audit information. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects a component designed for security monitoring rather than general database operations, creating a situation where the security tool itself becomes a potential attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4449 should encompass multiple defensive layers to address the various impact vectors. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict access to TCP port 5700, limiting the attack surface for remote exploitation attempts. Organizations should deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activity on the affected port and unusual parameter patterns in action.execute requests. The implementation of strong authentication mechanisms and encryption for administrative communications can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the Audit Vault component. Security patches and updates from Oracle should be applied promptly when available, as the vulnerability likely represents a design flaw that requires vendor-level fixes. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of audit log integrity and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing potential exploitation of this vulnerability, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential harvesting and T1071 for application layer protocols. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify additional vulnerabilities in the Audit Vault implementation and surrounding infrastructure.