CVE-2011-0789 in Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle HTTP Server component in Oracle Fusion Middleware 10.1.2.3 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0789 resides within the Oracle HTTP Server component of Oracle Fusion Middleware version 10.1.2.3, representing a critical security weakness that exposes systems to remote exploitation. This unspecified flaw specifically targets the integrity aspect of the affected system, meaning that attackers could potentially manipulate or corrupt data within the Oracle HTTP Server environment without direct physical access to the system. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that Oracle did not provide detailed technical information about the exact nature of the weakness during the initial disclosure, which often complicates the development of targeted defensive measures. The Oracle HTTP Server serves as a key component in Oracle Fusion Middleware deployments, acting as a web server that handles HTTP requests and manages web applications within enterprise environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the Oracle HTTP Server's handling of incoming requests and its processing mechanisms that govern how data flows through the system. While the precise vector remains unspecified, such vulnerabilities typically involve weaknesses in input validation, memory management, or protocol handling that could be exploited through crafted HTTP requests or malformed data inputs. The attack surface likely encompasses areas where the server processes user-supplied data, including URL parameters, headers, or request bodies that may not be properly sanitized before being processed. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of integrity violations where attackers can modify data or system state without proper authorization, potentially leading to data corruption, unauthorized modifications, or manipulation of business processes that rely on the server's data integrity.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2011-0789 extends beyond simple data corruption, potentially affecting the entire enterprise application stack that depends on Oracle Fusion Middleware. Organizations utilizing this specific version of Oracle Fusion Middleware could face significant risks including unauthorized data modification, service disruption, or potential data breaches that compromise business-critical information. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the network, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their Oracle HTTP Server to external traffic or have insufficient network segmentation in place. The vulnerability's presence in a widely-used middleware component increases the potential attack surface and could affect multiple applications running within the same Oracle Fusion Middleware environment, creating cascading effects throughout the enterprise infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with applying the official Oracle security patches that specifically target CVE-2011-0789. The patching process should be carefully coordinated with business continuity planning to minimize service disruption while ensuring the vulnerability is properly addressed. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the Oracle HTTP Server to unnecessary traffic, particularly by implementing firewalls that restrict access to the server from untrusted networks. Monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, including monitoring for malformed HTTP requests or unexpected data modifications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and CWE-119 for memory safety issues, suggesting that defensive measures should include input validation, code review processes, and regular security assessments. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other instances of the same or similar vulnerabilities within their Oracle Fusion Middleware deployments, as the unspecified nature of the flaw indicates potential for similar weaknesses in related components.