CVE-2015-4789 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-2015-4786, CVE-2015-4787, and CVE-2015-4790.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4789 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, affecting multiple versions including 11.2.5.1.29, 11.2.5.2.42, 11.2.5.3.28, and 12.1.6.0.35. This issue falls under the broader category of data store vulnerabilities that can compromise the fundamental security principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it suggests potential exploitation pathways that may not have been fully characterized or documented at the time of reporting. Unlike other CVE identifiers mentioned in the description, this vulnerability operates through distinct mechanisms that separate it from previously identified weaknesses in the same software ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability within Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component likely involves underlying architectural flaws that allow local attackers to manipulate database operations in ways that affect data protection and system stability. These weaknesses can manifest through various attack surfaces including memory corruption issues, improper access controls, or flawed data validation mechanisms. The local user requirement indicates that exploitation typically occurs from within the system's boundaries, potentially through privilege escalation or by leveraging existing user access to perform unauthorized operations against the database storage layer. This classification aligns with common attack patterns found in database security vulnerabilities where local access provides sufficient privileges to exploit underlying implementation flaws.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on Oracle Berkeley DB for critical data storage operations. The potential compromise of confidentiality means that sensitive data could be accessed by unauthorized local users, while integrity violations could result in data corruption or manipulation that affects business operations and regulatory compliance. Availability concerns arise from the possibility that the vulnerability could be exploited to cause system instability or denial of service conditions that disrupt database operations and application functionality. The interconnected nature of database systems means that exploitation of this vulnerability could cascade into broader system failures affecting multiple applications that depend on the affected database instance.
Security mitigations for CVE-2015-4789 should prioritize immediate patch management and version updates to eliminate the identified vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive access controls and privilege management to limit local user access to database systems where possible. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a local privilege escalation issue suggests that system hardening measures including secure configuration of database services, regular security audits, and implementation of principle of least privilege access controls are essential. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any additional systems running affected versions of Oracle Berkeley DB and implement appropriate isolation measures for database environments.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date database software and implementing robust security monitoring procedures. The fact that it operates through unspecified vectors indicates potential for sophisticated exploitation techniques that may not be immediately apparent to security teams. The relationship to other CVE identifiers in the same software ecosystem suggests that Oracle Berkeley DB versions may contain multiple interrelated security flaws that require comprehensive remediation approaches rather than individual patching strategies. Security professionals should reference industry standards including CWE categories related to database security and ATT&CK framework techniques for data manipulation and privilege escalation to understand the full scope of potential exploitation methods and implement appropriate defensive measures. Organizations must maintain continuous vigilance regarding database security updates and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address vulnerabilities that affect core data storage infrastructure.