CVE-2017-3609 in Berkeley DB
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Data Store component of Oracle Berkeley DB. The supported version that is affected is Prior to 6.2.32. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Data Store executes to compromise Data Store. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Data Store. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3609 resides within Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, representing a significant security weakness that affects versions prior to 6.2.32. This issue falls under the category of software security flaws that can lead to complete system compromise when exploited properly. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions and circumstances, the potential impact makes it a serious concern for organizations relying on this database technology. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.0 places it in the high severity category, reflecting the combination of confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts that can occur.
The technical flaw manifests in the Data Store component's handling of certain operations that allow an attacker with local logon access to the system where the database executes to gain complete control over the Data Store functionality. This vulnerability requires an attacker to have already established a foothold on the infrastructure through legitimate authentication, which represents a significant prerequisite for exploitation. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or insider threat scenarios may be involved, though the actual technical exploitation can be performed by the attacker once they have initial access. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and potentially T1566 for social engineering approaches.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting this vulnerability can be catastrophic for affected organizations, as it results in complete takeover of the Data Store component. This compromise means that attackers can access, modify, or destroy all data managed by the database, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and complete system control. The high CVSS score reflects the severe consequences that can occur when this vulnerability is successfully exploited, particularly in environments where Berkeley DB serves as a critical data storage solution. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues, financial losses, and reputational damage if such an attack occurs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3609 primarily focus on upgrading to Oracle Berkeley DB version 6.2.32 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement strict access controls and monitor for unauthorized logon attempts to the infrastructure hosting the Data Store component. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact if an attacker does gain access, while regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be performed to identify any other potential weaknesses in the system architecture. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 119 indicates potential memory corruption issues that could be exploited, making regular security updates and proper system hardening essential defensive measures.