CVE-2015-2656 in Berkeley DB
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Data Store component in Oracle Berkeley DB 11.2.5.1.29, 11.2.5.2.42, 11.2.5.3.28, and 12.1.6.0.35 allows local users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-2583, CVE-2015-2624, CVE-2015-2626, CVE-2015-2640, CVE-2015-2654, CVE-2015-4754, CVE-2015-4764, CVE-2015-4775, CVE-2015-4776, CVE-2015-4777, CVE-2015-4778, CVE-2015-4780, CVE-2015-4781, CVE-2015-4782, CVE-2015-4783, CVE-2015-4784, CVE-2015-4785, CVE-2015-4786, CVE-2015-4787, CVE-2015-4789, and CVE-2015-4790.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2656 affects Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, a critical database management system widely used in enterprise applications for embedded database operations. This particular flaw exists within specific versions including 11.2.5.1.29, 11.2.5.2.42, 11.2.5.3.28, and 12.1.6.0.35, representing a significant security concern for organizations relying on these database implementations. The vulnerability is classified as local, meaning it requires an attacker to already have access to the system or possess legitimate credentials to exploit the flaw, though this access level still presents a substantial risk given the potential impact on system integrity and data protection.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves unspecified attack vectors that compromise the fundamental security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the database system. This triad of security principles represents a critical weakness in the data store's architecture, as attackers could potentially manipulate stored data, access sensitive information, or disrupt database operations. The vulnerability's classification as local indicates that the attack surface is limited to users with existing system access, but this access level still enables sophisticated attacks that can leverage the underlying database architecture to cause significant damage.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risks to organizations using Oracle Berkeley DB in their infrastructure, particularly those with multiple applications relying on embedded database functionality. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that the flaw may involve multiple exploitation pathways, making it challenging for security teams to implement comprehensive protective measures. Organizations deploying these vulnerable versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized data modification, and service disruption scenarios that could severely impact business operations and regulatory compliance requirements.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-119, which addresses weaknesses in memory management and buffer handling, though the exact technical implementation remains unspecified in the CVE description. This lack of specific details about the attack vectors makes it difficult to map directly to established threat frameworks like ATT&CK, though the local nature of the vulnerability aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised systems. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader database security assessments and implement layered defensive measures including regular patching, access controls, and monitoring for anomalous database activities.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation efforts by upgrading to patched versions of Oracle Berkeley DB, as the vulnerability affects multiple release versions and represents a persistent risk to database security. The local access requirement does not diminish the importance of addressing this issue promptly, as it could enable attackers who have already gained system access to escalate their privileges and compromise additional system resources. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability makes it particularly concerning for environments handling sensitive data where compliance requirements demand robust protection mechanisms against all potential attack vectors.