CVE-2015-4786 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-2015-4778, CVE-2015-4780, CVE-2015-4781, CVE-2015-4782, CVE-2015-4783, CVE-2015-4784, CVE-2015-4785, 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-2015-4786 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 concern as it operates as a local privilege escalation vector that can compromise the fundamental security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified means that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, which is common in cases where vendors have not fully disclosed the root cause or when the vulnerability involves complex interactions within the database engine.
The Data Store component in Oracle Berkeley DB serves as a critical foundation for data persistence and retrieval operations within applications that rely on this embedded database system. When local users can exploit this vulnerability, they gain unauthorized access to the underlying data storage mechanisms, potentially enabling them to manipulate database contents, extract sensitive information, or disrupt database operations entirely. This local attack vector is particularly concerning because it does not require network access or remote exploitation, making it accessible to any user with local system access who can leverage the vulnerability.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4786 extends beyond simple data compromise, as it affects all three core security principles simultaneously. Confidentiality breaches could expose sensitive data stored within the database, integrity violations might allow attackers to modify or corrupt database records, and availability issues could result in denial of service conditions that prevent legitimate users from accessing critical data. This comprehensive impact makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Oracle Berkeley DB is commonly deployed for application data storage and management.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses weaknesses in memory management and data handling that can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized access. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through local exploitation and data manipulation. Organizations using Oracle Berkeley DB in their infrastructure should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security assessment, particularly in environments where local access controls may be insufficient or where users have elevated privileges on systems running these database versions.
The fact that this vulnerability differs from numerous other CVEs in the same timeframe indicates that it represents a distinct code path or architectural weakness within the Data Store component. This differentiation suggests that the vulnerability may stem from specific implementation details within the database's internal data handling or access control mechanisms rather than being a widespread issue affecting the entire product line. System administrators and security teams should prioritize patching affected systems, as the vulnerability's unspecified nature makes it particularly difficult to defend against without proper updates from Oracle.
Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious local activity and ensure that all systems running affected Oracle Berkeley DB versions are updated promptly. The vulnerability's local nature means that traditional network-based intrusion detection systems may not detect exploitation attempts, requiring more granular host-based monitoring approaches. Additionally, access control measures should be reviewed to ensure that local users have appropriate privileges and that unnecessary local access is restricted to minimize potential impact from such vulnerabilities.