CVE-2013-6863 in Adaptive Server Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
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 remote authenticated users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2017
SAP Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise represents a critical database management system that serves as the backbone for numerous enterprise applications across various industries. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6863 specifically targets multiple versions of this database server, creating a significant security risk for organizations that rely on its functionality. This flaw affects ASE versions 15.0.3 before ESD#4.3, 15.5 before ESD#5.3, and 15.7 before SP50 or SP100, indicating a widespread impact across different release streams. The vulnerability operates through unspecified vectors that allow remote authenticated users to escalate their privileges, fundamentally compromising the security posture of affected systems. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication, meaning that an attacker with valid credentials could potentially elevate their access rights within the database environment. This privilege escalation capability directly violates the principle of least privilege that security architects rely upon to protect sensitive data and system resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls or improper privilege validation mechanisms within the ASE database server implementation. While the exact vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, such privilege escalation vulnerabilities typically arise from flaws in authentication handling, role-based access control enforcement, or improper privilege validation routines. The unspecified nature of these vectors suggests that multiple attack paths may exist, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited through various methods. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a serious weakness in the database server's authorization framework, potentially allowing authenticated users to perform actions beyond their intended permissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which covers improper privilege management, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1068 for local privilege escalation or potentially T1548 for abuse of privileges. The database server's architecture likely contains logic errors where user permissions are not properly enforced during certain operations, allowing malicious users to bypass established security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple access control issues, as database servers typically contain sensitive organizational data including financial records, personal information, and proprietary business data. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially access, modify, or delete critical database contents, leading to data breaches, financial losses, and compliance violations. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the database server, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed network environments. Organizations may experience significant business disruption as a result of unauthorized data access or manipulation, with potential regulatory consequences under data protection laws such as GDPR or HIPAA. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent access within the database environment, potentially enabling long-term data exfiltration or system compromise. System administrators face the challenge of identifying and mitigating this vulnerability without disrupting legitimate database operations, as the privilege escalation could occur during normal database interactions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6863 must focus on immediate patching of affected ASE versions to the recommended service packs and ESD releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive vulnerability management processes that include regular assessment of database server configurations and access controls. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation, including implementing principle of least privilege for database accounts and monitoring access patterns for unusual privilege usage. Security monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous database activities that might indicate privilege escalation attempts. Database administrators should conduct thorough access reviews and implement multi-factor authentication for database access where possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and following vendor security advisories, as it represents a failure in the security controls that should have been in place through regular updates. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and provide alerts for suspicious database operations. Regular security assessments of database environments should include testing for privilege escalation vulnerabilities to ensure that similar issues are identified and addressed before they can be exploited by malicious actors.