CVE-2013-3789 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Core RDBMS component in Oracle Database Server 10.2.0.4, 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, 11.2.0.2, and 11.2.0.3 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3789 resides within Oracle Database Server's Core RDBMS component, affecting multiple version branches including 10.2.0.4, 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, and 11.2.0.2 through 11.2.0.3. This unspecified weakness represents a critical security flaw that demonstrates the inherent risks associated with database management systems serving as central repositories for sensitive organizational data. The vulnerability's classification as remote authenticated indicates that attackers need only valid credentials to exploit the flaw, significantly reducing the attack surface and increasing the potential impact of successful exploitation. The affected versions span a range of database server releases that were widely deployed across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning from a cybersecurity perspective.
The technical nature of the vulnerability involves unknown vectors that can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability simultaneously, aligning with the CIA triad fundamental to information security. This three-pronged impact suggests the flaw may enable attackers to access sensitive data, modify database contents, and potentially disrupt database operations through a single attack vector. The unspecified nature of the vectors indicates that Oracle did not provide detailed technical information about the exact mechanisms exploited, which is common with certain classes of vulnerabilities such as memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, or privilege escalation flaws. The vulnerability's designation as affecting the Core RDBMS component suggests it likely operates at a foundational level within the database architecture, potentially leveraging weaknesses in core database processes or system calls that handle data processing and storage operations.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Oracle Database Server for critical business operations, as it could enable unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, manipulation of business-critical information, or denial of service conditions that would impact business continuity. The remote authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that attackers could potentially exploit it from outside the organization's network perimeter, provided they have valid user credentials, which could be obtained through various means including credential theft, social engineering, or insider threats. The impact extends beyond simple data compromise to include potential system instability and service disruption, as availability can be affected through various mechanisms including database crashes or resource exhaustion attacks that would prevent legitimate users from accessing critical database services.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that include immediate patch management to address the vulnerability, along with enhanced access controls and monitoring of database activities. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation and credential access, making it particularly dangerous when combined with other attack vectors. Security teams should focus on implementing network segmentation to limit database access, enforcing strong authentication mechanisms, and establishing robust monitoring for anomalous database activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and following established security frameworks such as those defined by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and NIST guidelines for database security hardening. Organizations should conduct thorough risk assessments to identify all systems running affected Oracle Database versions and prioritize remediation efforts based on the criticality of the data stored in these systems.
This vulnerability exemplifies the challenges faced by cybersecurity professionals in managing complex database environments where multiple attack surfaces exist and where vulnerabilities can have cascading effects across interconnected systems. The lack of specific technical details in the vulnerability description necessitates a proactive approach to security management, including regular vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and continuous monitoring of database systems for signs of compromise. The affected versions represent a range of database releases that were in active use during 2013, indicating that organizations may have been running these vulnerable systems for extended periods without proper patching, emphasizing the importance of maintaining up-to-date security measures and implementing automated patch management processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in production environments.