CVE-2013-6861 in Adaptive Server Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in SAP Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) 15.0.3 before 15.0.3 ESD#4.3, 15.5 before 15.5 ESD#5.3, and 15.7 before 15.7 SP50 or 15.7 SP100 allows local users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2018
SAP Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise represents a critical enterprise database platform that serves as the backbone for numerous financial and corporate applications. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6861 manifests as an information disclosure weakness within the ASE 15.0.3, 15.5, and 15.7 versions, specifically before their respective security patches. This issue affects systems where local users can exploit unspecified vectors to gain access to sensitive information that should remain protected within the database environment. The vulnerability exists across multiple version streams, indicating a fundamental flaw in the database engine's security architecture that requires immediate attention from system administrators and security teams responsible for enterprise database security.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of sensitive data within the database server, where local users can leverage unspecified attack vectors to extract confidential information. While the exact technical mechanisms remain unspecified in the CVE description, such information disclosure vulnerabilities typically arise from inadequate access controls, improper privilege management, or flawed data isolation mechanisms within the database engine. The vulnerability's classification as local access means that an attacker must already have some level of access to the system, but this access can be exploited to escalate information gathering capabilities. This aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure vulnerabilities that can result in unauthorized data access and disclosure. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams suggests a systemic issue rather than an isolated incident, potentially affecting organizations running different ASE releases across their infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can compromise the integrity of database operations and potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Organizations utilizing SAP ASE for critical business operations face significant risk when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as the leaked information could include database schema details, user credentials, or other sensitive operational data. The local access requirement means that attackers typically need to have some level of system presence, but once achieved, they can exploit this vulnerability to gather intelligence that could facilitate further attacks. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where database security is paramount, as information disclosure can lead to cascading security issues including privilege escalation, data theft, and system compromise. The risk is amplified when considering that database administrators often have extensive access to organizational data, making this vulnerability a significant concern for enterprise security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6861 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches for SAP ASE versions 15.0.3 ESD#4.3, 15.5 ESD#5.3, and 15.7 SP50 or SP100. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected ASE versions and prioritize patching based on risk assessment. Security teams should implement additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect unauthorized local access attempts, as the vulnerability specifically targets local users. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the potential impact of local access compromises. The vulnerability's alignment with ATT&CK technique T1005 (Data from Local System) and T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) indicates that organizations should enhance their detection capabilities for these specific attack patterns. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to ensure that similar issues do not arise in other components of the database infrastructure, maintaining compliance with industry standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 for database security management.