CVE-2014-6283 in Adaptive Server Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) 15.7 before SP122 or SP63, 15.5 before ESD#5.4, and 15.0.3 before ESD#4.4 does not properly restrict access, which allows remote authenticated database users to (1) overwrite the master encryption key or (2) trigger a buffer overflow via a crafted RPC message to the hacmpmsgxchg function, and possibly other vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2018
SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise represents a critical database management system that serves as the backbone for enterprise applications across numerous organizations. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6283 specifically targets multiple versions of SAP ASE including 15.7 prior to SP122 or SP63, 15.5 prior to ESD#5.4, and 15.0.3 prior to ESD#4.4. This flaw stems from inadequate access controls within the system's RPC (Remote Procedure Call) handling mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these database versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the hacmpmsgxchg function which processes RPC messages without proper validation of input parameters. When authenticated database users send crafted RPC messages to this function, the system fails to enforce appropriate boundary checks or access restrictions. This design flaw enables attackers to either overwrite the master encryption key, effectively compromising the entire database encryption infrastructure, or trigger a buffer overflow condition that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The buffer overflow vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes conditions where insufficient boundary checks allow memory corruption through buffer overflows.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with potentially devastating capabilities. The ability to overwrite the master encryption key compromises the confidentiality of all encrypted data within the database, while the buffer overflow can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the database service account. This presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where SAP ASE serves as a core component of business-critical applications. The vulnerability affects authenticated users who already possess valid database credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate access to perform malicious activities.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by applying the appropriate service packs and security patches from SAP. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to SAP ASE versions that include proper access controls and input validation for RPC functions. Security teams should also implement network segmentation to limit access to database servers and monitor for suspicious RPC activity. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and execution through remote services, specifically T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1059 for command and script injection. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1566 related to credential access through legitimate credentials, as attackers can leverage existing database authentication to exploit these weaknesses without requiring additional access vectors.