CVE-2018-2912 in GoldenGate
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle GoldenGate component of Oracle GoldenGate (subcomponent: Manager). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.2.1.0, 12.2.0.2.0 and 12.3.0.1.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via TCP to compromise Oracle GoldenGate. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle GoldenGate. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.5 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2912 resides within Oracle GoldenGate's Manager subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects specific version releases including 12.1.2.1.0, 12.2.0.2.0, and 12.3.0.1.0. This issue falls under the broader category of availability-focused vulnerabilities, with the Common Weakness Enumeration categorizing it as a weakness related to insufficient input validation or improper error handling within network services. The vulnerability's exploitability profile indicates it can be readily leveraged by unauthenticated attackers who possess network access through TCP connections, making it particularly dangerous in environments where GoldenGate components are exposed to untrusted networks or the internet.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the Manager component's inadequate handling of incoming network requests, which allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that trigger system instability. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to induce a complete denial of service condition that results in either a system hang or repeated crashes of the Oracle GoldenGate Manager process. This behavior aligns with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation techniques for service denial of service attacks, specifically targeting the execution of malicious network traffic that disrupts system availability. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 7.5 reflects the high impact on availability, with the attack vector being network-based and requiring no authentication, making exploitation particularly straightforward for threat actors.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2912 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire data integration workflows that depend on Oracle GoldenGate for real-time data synchronization and replication. Organizations utilizing this software in mission-critical environments face significant risk of business continuity disruption, as the Manager component failure can cascade into broader system outages affecting downstream applications and data consumers. The vulnerability's characteristics also suggest potential for repeated exploitation, meaning that once an attacker successfully compromises a system, they could maintain persistent disruption through repeated attacks. This type of vulnerability typically requires immediate attention and remediation, as the lack of authentication requirements means that any network-accessible GoldenGate Manager instance could be vulnerable to exploitation, creating a broad attack surface that spans across multiple organizational boundaries.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to GoldenGate Manager components, deployment of firewalls to block unnecessary TCP connections, and application of Oracle's security patches released for this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework recommends implementing network-based detection measures and monitoring for anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected GoldenGate versions and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle denial of service attacks targeting database integration components. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches for enterprise data integration platforms, as the lack of authentication requirements and the availability-focused impact make such systems particularly attractive targets for adversaries seeking to disrupt business operations through service availability attacks.