CVE-2013-0373 in Enterprise Manager Grid Control
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Enterprise Manager Base Platform component in Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control EM Base Platform 10.2.0.5 and 11.1.0.1; EM DB Control 10.2.0.3, 10.2.0.4, 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, 11.2.0.2, and 11.2.0.3; and EM Plugin for DB 12.1.0.1, and 12.1.0.2 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Distributed/Cross DB Features.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0373 resides within Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control's Enterprise Manager Base Platform component, affecting multiple versions including 10.2.0.5 and 11.1.0.1 for the base platform, along with various database control versions and plugin releases. This issue specifically impacts the distributed and cross-database functionality features that enable management operations across multiple database instances. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness in Oracle's enterprise monitoring infrastructure, where the unspecified nature of the flaw suggests potential for various attack vectors that could compromise data integrity within the managed database environment.
The technical flaw manifests through unknown vectors related to distributed and cross-database features, indicating that the vulnerability likely involves improper validation or handling of data flows between database instances managed through the Enterprise Manager platform. This type of vulnerability typically arises when the system fails to properly sanitize or authenticate cross-system communications, potentially allowing malicious actors to inject or manipulate data during distributed operations. The distributed nature of the flaw suggests that it operates across multiple database instances or systems that are interconnected through the EM platform, creating a broader attack surface than traditional single-instance vulnerabilities.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses serious risks to database integrity and system reliability within enterprise environments that rely on Oracle Enterprise Manager for database monitoring and management. Attackers could potentially manipulate database configurations, alter monitoring data, or corrupt management information that flows between distributed database instances. The integrity compromise could lead to incorrect monitoring alerts, false security assessments, or even unauthorized database modifications that might go undetected for extended periods. Organizations using these affected versions face potential data corruption, unauthorized access to database management functions, and overall degradation of their database monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Oracle Enterprise Manager versions through official Oracle security updates. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the Enterprise Manager platform to untrusted networks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and potentially CWE-311 (Missing Encryption) categories, as it likely involves insufficient validation of cross-system communications. Security teams should consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous cross-database communication patterns and establish robust incident response procedures for potential integrity breaches. Additionally, organizations should review their database management practices and ensure proper access controls are in place for EM platform administrators to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.