CVE-2014-6541 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Recovery component in Oracle Database Server 11.1.0.7, 11.2.0.3, 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.1, and 12.1.0.2, when running on Windows, allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality via vectors related to DBMS_IR.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6541 resides within the Recovery component of Oracle Database Server versions 11.1.0.7, 11.2.0.3, 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.1, and 12.1.0.2 when deployed on Windows operating systems. This weakness falls under the category of unspecified vulnerability, indicating that the precise technical details of the flaw were not fully disclosed in the initial description. The affected component is part of Oracle's comprehensive database recovery infrastructure, which is designed to ensure data integrity and availability during system failures or corruption events. The vulnerability specifically impacts the DBMS_IR (Database Recovery) package, which provides interfaces for database recovery operations and is critical to maintaining database consistency and reliability in enterprise environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows authenticated remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality of database information through unspecified vectors related to the DBMS_IR functionality. This represents a significant security risk as it enables malicious actors who have already gained authentication credentials to potentially access sensitive data that should remain protected. The attack vector operates remotely, meaning that an authenticated user can exploit this weakness from any location without requiring physical access to the database server. The vulnerability's classification as affecting confidentiality suggests that the flaw could enable unauthorized data disclosure, potentially exposing sensitive information such as customer records, financial data, or proprietary business information. This weakness operates within the recovery subsystem, which typically handles critical database operations during failure scenarios, making it particularly dangerous as it could be exploited during already vulnerable database states.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates serious risks for organizations relying on Oracle Database Server for their mission-critical applications. The potential for confidentiality breaches means that sensitive corporate data could be exposed to unauthorized parties, leading to regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage. The fact that this affects multiple versions of Oracle Database Server indicates a widespread vulnerability that would require extensive patching efforts across organizations. Organizations may experience increased security audit scrutiny and potential legal consequences if data breaches occur due to this vulnerability. The remote nature of the attack means that the threat could originate from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly challenging to defend against and monitor. This vulnerability could be exploited as part of broader attack campaigns targeting database systems, potentially leading to cascading security incidents within enterprise networks.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2014-6541 primarily involves applying the official Oracle patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize patching their Oracle Database Server installations across all affected versions, ensuring that the Windows-specific fixes are properly implemented. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit the number of authenticated users who can access the database recovery interfaces. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect unusual activity patterns in database recovery operations, particularly those involving the DBMS_IR package. Security teams should implement network intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts targeting database recovery components. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any other potential weaknesses in the database infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can provide visibility into recovery operations and flag anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and could potentially be leveraged as part of techniques described in ATT&CK's privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics.