CVE-2014-6567 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Core RDBMS 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 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information is from the January 2015 CPU. Oracle has not commented on the researcher's claim that this is a stack-based buffer overflow in DBMS_AW.EXECUTE, which allows code execution via a long Current Directory Alias (CDA) command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6567 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Database Server's Core RDBMS component affecting multiple versions including 11.1.0.7, 11.2.0.3, 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.1, and 12.1.0.2. This vulnerability falls under the category of unspecified weakness that can be exploited by remote authenticated users to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. The vulnerability was originally documented in Oracle's January 2015 Critical Patch Update, indicating the severity and urgency of the issue. Security researchers have identified this vulnerability as a stack-based buffer overflow specifically within the DBMS_AW.EXECUTE procedure, which serves as a critical attack vector for potential exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the DBMS_AW.EXECUTE function, which processes Current Directory Alias (CDA) commands. When an authenticated user submits a specially crafted long CDA command to this function, the system fails to properly bounds-check the input data against the allocated stack buffer space. This buffer overflow condition creates an opportunity for attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations and potentially execute arbitrary code within the database server context. The stack-based nature of the vulnerability means that the overflow occurs in the program's stack memory area, which can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow. This flaw directly maps to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a high-risk vulnerability due to its potential for code execution and system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6567 extends beyond simple data corruption or service disruption, as it provides attackers with the capability to gain complete control over affected database servers. Remote authenticated users can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code with the privileges of the database service account, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete system compromise. The availability impact is significant as successful exploitation could result in database server crashes or denial of service conditions. The confidentiality aspect is equally concerning since attackers could extract sensitive data from the database or modify database contents to corrupt information integrity. This vulnerability represents a serious threat to database security infrastructure and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically through the execution of database commands that could be leveraged for further compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through Oracle's official security patches and updates. The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the relevant Critical Patch Update from Oracle as soon as possible, which typically includes code-level fixes that address the buffer overflow condition in DBMS_AW.EXECUTE. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the number of authenticated users who can access database functionality, particularly procedures that may be vulnerable to such attacks. Additionally, database administrators should monitor database logs for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around EXECUTE function calls with unusually long parameters. Security monitoring solutions should be configured to detect potential buffer overflow exploitation attempts and alert security teams to investigate suspicious database activities. The vulnerability's classification as a remote authenticated attack vector means that organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as database firewall rules, privilege least-privilege principles, and regular security assessments to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential exploitation risks.