CVE-2011-2231 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the XML Developer Kit component in Oracle Database Server 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.3, 10.2.0.4, 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, and 11.2.0.1, Oracle Fusion Middleware 10.1.3.5, allows remote attackers to affect availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2231 resides within the XML Developer Kit component of Oracle Database Server versions spanning multiple release lines including 10.1.0.5, 10.2.0.3 through 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, and 11.2.0.1, as well as Oracle Fusion Middleware 10.1.3.5. This unspecified weakness falls under the broader category of availability impact vulnerabilities that can be exploited remotely by attackers without requiring authentication or specific privileges. The XML Developer Kit serves as a critical interface for handling XML data within Oracle database environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise database security posture. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that Oracle did not provide detailed technical information about the exact nature of the flaw during the initial disclosure, which is common with certain types of availability-related issues that may involve resource exhaustion, denial of service conditions, or other mechanisms that disrupt normal system operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability suggests it operates through unknown vectors that could encompass various attack pathways including but not limited to malformed XML inputs, resource consumption attacks, or protocol manipulation techniques that target the XML processing capabilities within the database server. Such vulnerabilities typically represent a class of issues that can be exploited to cause system instability, process termination, or complete service unavailability, potentially affecting database operations and business continuity. The fact that this vulnerability affects multiple versions indicates it represents a fundamental flaw in the XML processing architecture rather than a localized issue. This widespread impact across different Oracle Database versions and middleware components demonstrates the severity of the underlying architectural weakness that allows remote exploitation without requiring specific credentials or access privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise environments that rely on Oracle Database systems for critical business operations, as it can be exploited remotely to cause service disruption and potential data unavailability. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can potentially target these systems from outside the organization's network perimeter, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for systems exposed to the internet or public networks. Organizations using affected versions of Oracle Database and Fusion Middleware may experience service interruptions, database downtime, and potential business impact due to the availability disruption caused by this vulnerability. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors means that security teams must implement defensive measures without complete knowledge of all possible exploitation techniques, requiring broad-based security controls and monitoring approaches.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with common attack patterns found in the ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to denial of service and availability disruption tactics. From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability likely maps to categories involving resource management issues, input validation weaknesses, or protocol handling problems that can lead to system instability. Organizations should prioritize patching and updating their Oracle Database installations to the latest supported versions to address this vulnerability, as Oracle typically provides security patches and updates that resolve such issues. Additionally, network segmentation, firewall rules, and monitoring systems should be implemented to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring for database environments to prevent exploitation of such availability-focused weaknesses that can cause significant operational disruption.