CVE-2017-3616 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-2017-3616 resides within Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, representing a significant security weakness that affects versions prior to 6.2.32. This database system serves as a foundational element for numerous applications requiring high-performance data storage solutions, making this flaw particularly concerning for organizations relying on its services. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions for successful exploitation, the potential impact renders it a serious threat to system security and data integrity.
The technical flaw manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be leveraged by an attacker who already possesses logon credentials to the infrastructure hosting the Data Store component. This requirement for existing access creates a specific attack vector that aligns with the CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.0, reflecting high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. The vulnerability's accessibility characteristics are rated as local access complexity with high attack complexity, indicating that exploitation requires sophisticated techniques and specific environmental conditions. The need for human interaction beyond the initial attacker access point suggests that social engineering or additional system compromise may be necessary for successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the Data Store component. This represents a critical compromise that could allow attackers to manipulate database contents, disrupt service availability, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. The confidentiality impact is rated as high, indicating that sensitive data stored within the database could be accessed, modified, or exfiltrated by unauthorized parties. The integrity impact is equally severe, as attackers could corrupt database records, manipulate transactions, or undermine data consistency. Availability impacts represent the potential for service disruption through various methods including denial of service attacks or complete system compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation efforts by upgrading to Oracle Berkeley DB version 6.2.32 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this security flaw. The mitigation strategy should also include comprehensive network segmentation to limit access to database infrastructure, implementation of robust access controls, and regular security assessments to identify potential attack vectors. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual database access patterns or unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability's alignment with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and its mapping to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) demonstrates the importance of maintaining strict access controls and credential management practices. Regular security training for system administrators and development teams is essential to prevent human interaction requirements from being exploited through social engineering or insider threats. The CVSS vector analysis indicates that this vulnerability requires careful consideration in risk assessment and incident response planning, as it represents a medium to high severity threat that could significantly impact organizational security posture and data protection capabilities.