CVE-2014-6556 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Applications DBA component in Oracle E-Business Suite 11.5.10.2, 12.0.6, 12.1.3, 12.2.2, 12.2.3, and 12.2.4 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via vectors related to AD_DDL.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6556 resides within the Oracle Applications DBA component of the Oracle E-Business Suite, a comprehensive enterprise resource planning platform widely deployed across global organizations. This particular flaw manifests in versions 11.5.10.2, 12.0.6, 12.1.3, 12.2.2, 12.2.3, and 12.2.4, representing a significant security gap that affects the foundational database administration capabilities of the suite. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that while the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, the impact spans all three fundamental principles of information security. The attack vector specifically relates to AD_DDL functionality, which governs database definition language operations and schema modifications within the Oracle E-Business Suite environment. This designation places the vulnerability squarely within the purview of database administration and schema manipulation controls that are critical to maintaining system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows authenticated remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems through the AD_DDL component. The AD_DDL functionality typically handles database schema changes, table modifications, and structural alterations that are essential for system maintenance and configuration. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to potentially access sensitive data, modify database structures, and disrupt system operations. The remote authentication requirement suggests that attackers need valid credentials to exploit this weakness, but once authenticated, they can leverage the flaw to perform unauthorized actions that extend beyond normal administrative privileges. This represents a privilege escalation scenario where legitimate users can be leveraged to gain enhanced capabilities that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6556 extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it compromises the core security model of Oracle E-Business Suite deployments. Organizations relying on these systems face potential data breaches, system corruption, and service disruptions that could affect financial operations, inventory management, and other critical business processes. The confidentiality aspect means that sensitive business data, including financial records, customer information, and proprietary business intelligence could be accessed by unauthorized parties. Integrity concerns arise from the potential for database schema manipulation that could alter business rules, financial calculations, or operational procedures. Availability impacts could manifest through denial of service conditions or system crashes resulting from malicious schema modifications. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions indicates a widespread risk across Oracle E-Business Suite installations, requiring comprehensive remediation efforts across affected deployments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle critical patch updates that address this vulnerability, as well as implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1499 for endpoint disruption. Additional defensive measures include monitoring database access logs for unusual AD_DDL activities, implementing privileged access management controls, and conducting regular security assessments of Oracle E-Business Suite environments. Security teams should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous schema modification patterns. The remediation process requires careful planning to ensure that patch deployment does not disrupt critical business operations while addressing the underlying access control weakness that enables this vulnerability to be exploited by authenticated users.