CVE-2017-3486 in Oracle
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the SQL*Plus component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker having Local Logon privilege with logon to the infrastructure where SQL*Plus executes to compromise SQL*Plus. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in SQL*Plus, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of SQL*Plus. Note: This score is for Windows platform version 11.2.0.4 of Database. For Windows platform version 12.1.0.2 and Linux, the score is 6.3 with scope Unchanged. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3486 resides within the SQLPlus component of Oracle Database Server, representing a significant security weakness that affects specific version releases including 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2. This flaw manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that requires an attacker to possess local logon privileges on the system where SQLPlus operates, making it a moderately difficult to exploit issue. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-269 indicates a weakness related to improper privilege management, specifically concerning the creation of objects with incorrect access control permissions. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 7.2, reflecting high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, with the vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H indicating local access requirements, high attack complexity, high privilege requirements, and a significant scope change that can impact additional products beyond the primary target.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to already have local access to the system where SQLPlus is installed and running, which creates a baseline requirement for physical or remote access to the target infrastructure. This prerequisite aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves local privilege escalation through exploitation of system vulnerabilities. The attack vector specifically targets the SQLPlus execution environment, which serves as a command-line interface for database administration tasks, making it a critical component for database operations. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate SQLPlus application to potentially compromise other Oracle Database products that may share underlying components or dependencies with the affected SQLPlus implementation.
The operational impact of successful exploitation of CVE-2017-3486 can result in complete takeover of the SQLPlus environment, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges. This compromise represents a severe threat to database security since SQLPlus is commonly used for administrative tasks, data manipulation, and system configuration changes. The vulnerability's scope change classification (S:C) indicates that a successful attack could potentially affect additional products, suggesting that the compromised SQL*Plus environment might provide access to other Oracle Database components or related services. This cascading effect aligns with the ATT&CK tactic T1083, which involves discovering system information and network configuration details that could be leveraged for further attacks. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts reflect the potential for attackers to not only access sensitive database information but also to modify or corrupt data, and potentially disrupt database operations entirely.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected Oracle Database Server installations, particularly targeting versions 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2 where the flaw exists. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege management to minimize the risk of local logon privileges being compromised, aligning with the principle of least privilege as defined in security frameworks. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual activities related to SQL*Plus execution or database administrative tasks. The vulnerability's requirement for human interaction suggests that user awareness training should be implemented to prevent unauthorized individuals from inadvertently providing access to compromised systems. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities across the Oracle Database ecosystem, as this flaw demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring solutions.