CVE-2016-9873 in Documentum D2
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Documentum D2 version 4.5 and EMC Documentum D2 version 4.6 has a DQL Injection Vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by malicious users to compromise the affected system. An authenticated low-privileged attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability to access information, modify data or disrupt services by causing execution of arbitrary DQL commands on the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2022
The CVE-2016-9873 vulnerability affects EMC Documentum D2 versions 4.5 and 4.6, representing a critical database query language injection flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise document management systems. This vulnerability resides within the DQL (Document Query Language) processing mechanisms of the Documentum D2 application, where insufficient input validation allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary DQL commands. The flaw is particularly concerning as it requires only authenticated access with low-privileged user accounts, making it accessible to insiders or attackers who have gained basic system credentials. The vulnerability operates at the application level where user-supplied input is directly incorporated into DQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization, creating an attack surface that can be exploited through crafted input fields or API endpoints that process user data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic injection pattern where an attacker manipulates application input to alter the intended DQL execution flow. When authenticated users submit malicious DQL commands through application interfaces or API calls, the system fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before incorporating them into database queries. This allows attackers to execute unauthorized database operations including data enumeration, modification, or deletion, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-94, which describes "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for command and script injection. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the authenticated user and the application, making detection more challenging as malicious activities appear to originate from legitimate user accounts.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-9873 extends beyond simple data access violations, as it enables attackers to perform comprehensive system compromise through database-level operations. An authenticated low-privileged attacker can potentially extract sensitive information from the Documentum repository, modify document metadata or content, and disrupt service availability through destructive operations. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that Documentum systems typically contain critical business documents, intellectual property, and sensitive corporate data, making successful exploitation particularly damaging. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access patterns, escalate privileges through database-level operations, or cause denial of service conditions that impact business continuity. The impact assessment must consider both direct data compromise and indirect consequences such as regulatory compliance violations under standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR requirements for data protection.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-9873 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Documentum D2 versions, as EMC has released security updates to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations must implement robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms throughout the application's data handling pipeline, ensuring all user-supplied DQL input undergoes proper escaping or parameterization before database processing. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by implementing strict access controls and monitoring for anomalous DQL query patterns that may indicate injection attempts. Network segmentation and application-level firewalls can help limit the blast radius of successful exploitation attempts, while comprehensive logging and monitoring systems should track DQL execution patterns to detect potential attack activities. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews focusing on input handling and query construction processes, and implement automated scanning tools to identify similar injection vulnerabilities across the broader Documentum ecosystem. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should validate the effectiveness of implemented controls while maintaining awareness of evolving threat landscapes targeting enterprise content management systems.