CVE-2016-3418 in Berkeley DB
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the DataStore component in Oracle Berkeley DB 11.2.5.0.32, 11.2.5.1.29, 11.2.5.2.42, 11.2.5.3.28, 12.1.6.0.35, and 12.1.6.1.26 allows local users to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0682, CVE-2016-0689, CVE-2016-0692, and CVE-2016-0694.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3418 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle Berkeley DB's DataStore component, affecting multiple version releases including 11.2.5.0.32 through 11.2.5.3.28 and 12.1.6.0.35 through 12.1.6.1.26. This unspecified vulnerability resides within the database's core storage management system, creating potential pathways for local attackers to compromise the fundamental security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed, though it operates through unknown vectors that distinguish it from other contemporaneous vulnerabilities such as CVE-2016-0682, CVE-2016-0689, CVE-2016-0692, and CVE-2016-0694, which were previously identified in the same product line.
The technical flaw within the DataStore component manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that enables attackers with local system access to manipulate database operations in ways that compromise data security. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-269 privilege escalation category, where an attacker can gain elevated privileges within the database environment. The impact spans all three pillars of information security as defined by the CIA triad, potentially allowing unauthorized data access and modification, database corruption, and service disruption. The local nature of the vulnerability suggests that attackers must already have system-level access or be able to execute code on the target system, but the vulnerability's exploitation could result in complete database compromise.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risk to organizations relying on Oracle Berkeley DB for critical data storage operations. The potential for confidentiality breaches means that sensitive data stored within affected database instances could be accessed by unauthorized local users, while integrity compromises could lead to data corruption or manipulation that goes undetected. Availability impacts could manifest through database service disruption or denial of access to legitimate users, potentially affecting business continuity and operational efficiency. The vulnerability's presence across multiple versions indicates a systemic issue within the DataStore component architecture that requires immediate attention and remediation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle Berkeley DB installations to address this vulnerability, as the unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests potential for sophisticated exploitation techniques. The remediation process should involve comprehensive testing of patched versions to ensure compatibility with existing database applications and configurations. Security teams should implement monitoring for unusual local system activity that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also conducting thorough vulnerability assessments of database environments to identify any other potential attack surfaces. The vulnerability's classification as a local privilege escalation issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, making it particularly concerning for environments where local access is not tightly controlled. Organizations should also consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring measures to detect and prevent unauthorized local system access that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.