CVE-2015-4778 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-2015-2656, CVE-2015-4754, CVE-2015-4764, CVE-2015-4775, CVE-2015-4776, CVE-2015-4777, 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 • 11/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4778 resides within Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, specifically affecting versions 11.2.5.1.29, 11.2.5.2.42, 11.2.5.3.28, and 12.1.6.0.35. This issue represents a significant security weakness that operates outside the scope of previously identified vulnerabilities, distinguishing it from a comprehensive list of related CVEs including those referenced in the description. The Data Store component serves as a critical foundation for database operations, managing data persistence and retrieval functions that are fundamental to application stability and data integrity. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that attackers can exploit this weakness through mechanisms that are not fully documented, potentially encompassing various attack surfaces within the database engine's operational framework.
The technical flaw manifests as a local privilege escalation opportunity that compromises the fundamental security assurances of confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the affected database environment. This three-pronged impact aligns with the core principles of the CIA triad and reflects the severity of the vulnerability's potential consequences. Local users who can access the system with limited privileges may exploit this weakness to gain elevated access rights, potentially allowing them to manipulate database contents, extract sensitive information, or disrupt service availability. The vulnerability's classification as a local issue indicates that exploitation requires physical or logical access to the target system, though the implications remain severe given the database's critical role in data management.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4778 extends beyond immediate security breaches to encompass broader system reliability and data protection concerns. Organizations utilizing affected Berkeley DB versions face potential data loss, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and service disruption that could affect business continuity. The vulnerability's presence in multiple release versions suggests a widespread exposure across different product iterations, requiring comprehensive assessment and remediation efforts. Attackers leveraging this weakness could potentially compromise the integrity of database transactions, modify critical application data, or even render database services unavailable through targeted disruption techniques. The local nature of the vulnerability means that attackers typically need to establish a foothold on the system before exploitation can occur, but once achieved, the impact can be substantial.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with Oracle's recommended security updates, as these releases typically address the specific weakness in the Data Store component. System administrators must conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all instances of the affected Berkeley DB versions across their infrastructure, particularly in environments where local access is possible. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database access patterns or potential exploitation attempts, with particular attention to privilege escalation activities. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of local exploitation by restricting user access to database systems. The vulnerability's relationship to the broader CVE landscape indicates that organizations should maintain comprehensive vulnerability management processes that account for both known and emerging threats within their database environments.
From a compliance and security framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-250 (Execute Code with Unusual Privilege Level) and CWE-254 (Weaknesses in Privilege Management), reflecting the fundamental security principles that govern secure system design. The attack surface considerations for this vulnerability relate to the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation tactics, where local users can leverage system weaknesses to gain elevated privileges. Organizations should implement comprehensive security controls including regular vulnerability assessments, access reviews, and security awareness training to prevent exploitation of such local privilege escalation vulnerabilities. The specific nature of the vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure configuration practices for database systems.