CVE-2013-1534 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Workload Manager component in Oracle Database Server 11.2.0.2 and 11.2.0.3, when used in RAC configurations, allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1534 resides within Oracle Database Server's Workload Manager component, specifically affecting versions 11.2.0.2 and 11.2.0.3 when deployed in Real Application Clusters configurations. This component serves as a critical workload management system that controls resource allocation and job scheduling across multiple database instances within a cluster environment. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vector indicates that attackers can exploit various attack surfaces within this workload management framework without specific disclosure of the exact technical mechanism. The affected RAC configurations present a particularly concerning attack surface since they involve multiple interconnected database instances that share resources and communicate across network boundaries, creating potential entry points for malicious actors.
The technical flaw within the Workload Manager component represents a fundamental security weakness that enables remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected database systems. This triad of impacts suggests that attackers can potentially access sensitive data through unauthorized information disclosure, modify critical database operations and configurations through integrity violations, and disrupt database services through availability attacks. The vulnerability's remote exploitability indicates that malicious actors do not require physical access or local system privileges to carry out attacks, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where database servers are accessible from external networks. The complexity of RAC configurations means that a successful exploitation could potentially affect multiple database instances simultaneously, amplifying the impact scope and making containment more challenging.
Operational impact of CVE-2013-1534 extends beyond immediate security breaches to encompass significant business continuity risks and regulatory compliance violations. Organizations utilizing Oracle Database Server in RAC configurations face potential data breaches that could expose sensitive corporate information, financial records, or customer data to unauthorized parties. The integrity compromise could result in malicious modification of database queries, transaction processing, or configuration settings that might go unnoticed for extended periods. Availability impacts could disrupt critical business operations through database service outages, potentially affecting applications that depend on these database systems for their core functionality. From a compliance standpoint, organizations may face regulatory penalties under standards such as pci dss, hipaa, or gdpr if sensitive data is compromised through this vulnerability, particularly given that database systems often contain highly sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1534 should prioritize immediate patch management through Oracle's security updates, which would address the underlying vulnerability in the Workload Manager component. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to database servers to only authorized network segments and employ strict access controls through oracle's security features such as role-based access control and network access control lists. Monitoring and logging of database activities should be enhanced to detect unusual workload management patterns or unauthorized access attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of network intrusion detection systems and database activity monitoring tools can provide additional layers of defense by identifying anomalous behavior in workload management operations. Security hardening practices should include disabling unnecessary database features, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and regularly reviewing and updating access permissions to minimize potential attack surfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing database virtualization or containerization technologies that can provide additional isolation between database instances and limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the mitre att&ck framework under database attack techniques and represents a significant concern for organizations following oracle database security best practices as outlined in industry standards such as nist cybersecurity framework and iso 27001.