CVE-2013-3790 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 integrity via unknown vectors related to Privileged Account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3790 represents a significant security weakness within Oracle Database Server's Core RDBMS component affecting multiple version streams including 10.2.0.4, 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7, and 11.2.0.2 through 11.2.0.3. This issue specifically targets the integrity aspect of the database system, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on database consistency and data reliability. The vulnerability is classified as remote and authenticated, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to exploit the flaw, but once authenticated, they can potentially compromise the integrity of database operations. The unspecified nature of the exact vector makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against as security teams cannot immediately identify the precise attack surface or method of exploitation.
The technical flaw resides within the privileged account handling mechanisms of Oracle's database server architecture, where the Core RDBMS component fails to properly validate or restrict certain operations that should be restricted to privileged users. This weakness allows authenticated users with legitimate database access to perform actions that could alter or corrupt database integrity. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically related to improper access control for privileged accounts. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1496 Resource Hijacking, as it allows for privilege escalation and potential resource manipulation through legitimate authentication channels. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption to include potential data manipulation and integrity compromise that could affect audit trails, transaction logs, and overall database consistency.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations running affected Oracle Database Server versions, as it creates opportunities for both insider threats and compromised legitimate accounts to cause significant damage to database integrity. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to manipulate database transactions, alter critical data, or bypass normal access controls that should prevent unauthorized modifications. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that even users with legitimate database access from external networks could potentially exploit this weakness, making network segmentation and access control critical defensive measures. Organizations with multiple database instances across different environments face increased risk as this vulnerability affects multiple major release streams, requiring comprehensive patch management across all affected systems. The integrity compromise could lead to cascading failures in applications that depend on database consistency, potentially affecting business operations and regulatory compliance requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3790 should focus on immediate patch deployment from Oracle to address the underlying privilege control mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of database access patterns to detect unusual activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around privileged account usage. Network segmentation and strict access controls should be enforced to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation, ensuring that even authenticated users cannot perform unauthorized integrity operations. Database administrators should conduct regular privilege reviews and implement the principle of least privilege to minimize the potential impact of compromised accounts. Additionally, implementing database activity monitoring tools and audit trails can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining detailed logging of privileged account activities provides crucial forensic capabilities for incident response. The vulnerability's classification as a privilege escalation issue necessitates careful review of existing access control policies and procedures to ensure that legitimate users cannot abuse their privileges to compromise database integrity.