CVE-2016-0482 in Enterprise Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Application Testing Suite component in Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control 12.4.0.2 and 12.5.0.2 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality via unknown vectors related to Test Manager for Web Apps, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0480, CVE-2016-0481, CVE-2016-0485, and CVE-2016-0486. NOTE: the previous information is from the January 2016 CPU. Oracle has not commented on third-party claims that this is a directory traversal vulnerability in the DownloadServlet servlet, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in the file parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0482 affects the Oracle Application Testing Suite component within Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control versions 12.4.0.2 and 12.5.0.2. This unspecified weakness resides within the Test Manager for Web Apps functionality and represents a distinct security flaw from several related vulnerabilities including CVE-2016-0480 through CVE-2016-0486. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that Oracle initially provided limited technical details about the precise nature of the security flaw, though subsequent analysis has suggested this may involve directory traversal mechanisms within the system's servlet architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability appears to be rooted in improper input validation within the DownloadServlet servlet component of the Oracle Application Testing Suite. This servlet handles file download operations and reportedly lacks adequate sanitization of user-supplied file parameters. Security researchers have identified that remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious directory traversal sequences in the file parameter, allowing them to navigate the file system beyond intended boundaries. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as directory traversal or path traversal attacks. The attack vector operates through HTTP requests that manipulate the file parameter to access files outside the intended download directory.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control in their testing environments. The ability to read arbitrary files from the underlying file system could expose sensitive configuration data, test scripts, application source code, database credentials, and other confidential information stored on the server. Attackers could potentially access not only application files but also system-level information that might aid in further exploitation or lateral movement within the network. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network presence to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed web applications.
The vulnerability's classification within the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation through exploitation of software vulnerabilities. Specifically, this weakness could be categorized under T1212 - Exploitation for Credential Access or T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter when combined with other attack techniques. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected Oracle Application Testing Suite components and ensure that only authorized personnel can interact with these systems. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security design. The lack of detailed information from Oracle initially suggests that organizations may need to rely on third-party analysis and community research to fully understand the attack surface and implement appropriate defensive measures.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control installations to the latest available security updates from Oracle. Organizations should also implement network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block directory traversal attack patterns in HTTP requests. Input validation should be strengthened at the application level to prevent malicious path traversal sequences from being processed by the DownloadServlet. Regular security assessments of Oracle Application Testing Suite components should be conducted to identify potential weaknesses and ensure that proper access controls are in place. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual file access patterns or attempts to read system files that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of timely patch management and comprehensive security testing for enterprise application platforms.