CVE-2011-2244 in Enterprise Manager Grid Control
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Security Framework 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, 11.2.0.1, and 11.2.0.2; and Enterprise Manager Grid Control 10.1.0.6, 10.2.0.5, and 11.1.0.1; allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via unknown vectors related to Authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2244 resides within the Security Framework component of Oracle Database Server and Enterprise Manager Grid Control, affecting multiple versions including 10.1.0.5 through 11.2.0.2 and their corresponding Enterprise Manager releases. This unspecified weakness represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental integrity of Oracle's authentication mechanisms, potentially allowing malicious actors to compromise database systems from remote locations. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication process, which serves as the primary gatekeeper for database access and represents one of the most critical attack surfaces in any database infrastructure. The lack of specific technical details in the original description suggests that Oracle classified this issue as particularly sensitive, potentially involving complex interactions between multiple security components that could be exploited through various attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the realm of authentication bypass attacks, which typically fall under CWE-287 - Improper Authentication, and may also relate to CWE-312 - Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information or CWE-319 - Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information depending on how the flaw manifests. The authentication framework component is responsible for validating user credentials and managing access control policies, making any weakness in this area particularly dangerous as it could allow unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive data or perform administrative functions. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially manipulate authentication processes to gain unauthorized access to database resources, modify data integrity, or compromise confidential information stored within the database systems. The remote nature of the attack vector indicates that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where database systems are often accessible over networks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant threat to enterprise data security and compliance requirements. Organizations relying on affected Oracle Database versions could face unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete system compromise without detection. The potential for confidentiality breaches means that sensitive information including personal data, financial records, intellectual property, and business-critical data could be exposed to unauthorized parties. Integrity violations could result in data corruption, manipulation of business processes, or fraudulent transactions that might go undetected for extended periods. The widespread nature of affected versions means that organizations with legacy systems or those following conservative upgrade schedules could remain vulnerable for extended periods. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 - Valid Accounts and T1566 - Phishing, as attackers could leverage compromised authentication to maintain persistent access or gain initial entry into systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Oracle Critical Patch Updates that address this vulnerability, reviewing and strengthening authentication policies, implementing network segmentation to limit access to database systems, and conducting comprehensive security audits of database environments. The remediation process should involve thorough testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing applications. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as database activity monitoring, intrusion detection systems, and regular vulnerability assessments to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network-based controls including firewalls and access control lists should be configured to restrict database access to authorized systems only, while logging mechanisms should be enhanced to capture authentication-related events for security analysis. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring strategies to protect against sophisticated attack vectors targeting database authentication mechanisms.