CVE-2016-0490 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 and integrity via unknown vectors related to Test Manager for Web Apps, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0487. 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 UploadServlet servlet, which allows remote attackers to upload and execute arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in a filename header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0490 resides within Oracle Application Testing Suite component of Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control, specifically affecting versions 12.4.0.2 and 12.5.0.2. This unspecified weakness manifests in the Test Manager for Web Apps functionality and represents a distinct security flaw from CVE-2016-0487, indicating that Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control contains multiple vulnerabilities within its application testing suite that require separate remediation approaches. The vulnerability's classification as affecting both confidentiality and integrity suggests that attackers could potentially access sensitive data while simultaneously compromising data integrity through malicious manipulation of the affected component.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability appears to involve directory traversal attacks through the UploadServlet servlet, a pattern that aligns with common web application security weaknesses documented in CWE-22 directory traversal vulnerabilities. This directory traversal mechanism allows remote attackers to manipulate file upload operations by crafting malicious filename headers that contain directory traversal sequences such as "../" or similar patterns. When the application processes these manipulated filenames, it can be tricked into writing files to unintended locations within the filesystem, potentially allowing attackers to upload and execute arbitrary code on the target system. The attack vector leverages the application's insufficient input validation and path resolution mechanisms, which are fundamental security controls that should prevent such unauthorized file system access patterns.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations utilizing Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control for application testing and monitoring purposes. The ability to upload and execute arbitrary files remotely represents a severe privilege escalation opportunity that could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor establishment. The impact extends beyond simple confidentiality and integrity breaches to potentially enable full system takeover, particularly when considering that the vulnerability affects a core component of Oracle's enterprise management platform that likely operates with elevated privileges. Organizations relying on this testing suite for web application validation may find their security posture severely compromised, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to bypass traditional security controls and gain unauthorized access to critical enterprise resources.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-0490 should prioritize immediate patch application from Oracle, as this vulnerability affects core enterprise management functionality. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control instances, particularly restricting external exposure of the UploadServlet endpoint. Input validation controls should be strengthened to reject any filename headers containing directory traversal sequences, implementing proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual file upload patterns and unauthorized file system modifications. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control deployments to identify and remediate similar directory traversal vulnerabilities that may exist in other servlet components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1078 Valid Accounts, as successful exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code through compromised application services and potentially leveraging legitimate administrative accounts for persistent access.