CVE-2020-14734 in Database Server
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2020
Vulnerability in the Oracle Text component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1, 18c and 19c. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Oracle Text. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Text. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.1 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14734 resides within Oracle Text component of Oracle Database Server, representing a significant security weakness that affects multiple supported versions including 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1, 18c, and 19c. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it allows unauthorized access to critical database components. The Oracle Text component serves as a powerful text search and indexing engine within Oracle Database, enabling full-text search capabilities across large volumes of data, which makes its compromise particularly damaging for organizations relying on database content management systems.
The technical flaw manifests through Oracle Net protocol vulnerabilities that enable an unauthenticated attacker to establish network connections and exploit the Oracle Text component without requiring valid credentials or prior authentication. This represents a high difficulty exploit scenario as indicated by the CVSS vector showing high attack complexity (AC:H) and the requirement for network access (AV:N). The vulnerability operates at the network level where Oracle Net listeners may not properly validate incoming requests to the Text component, allowing malicious actors to craft specific network packets that trigger the vulnerable code path within Oracle Text functionality. The attack surface is particularly concerning because Oracle Net is a fundamental communication protocol used by database clients and applications to interact with Oracle Database instances, making this vulnerability accessible to attackers who can reach the database network port.
The operational impact of successful exploitation of CVE-2020-14734 is severe and encompasses complete compromise of the Oracle Text functionality, potentially leading to full system takeover according to the CVSS scoring system which assigns a base score of 8.1 with high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to text search capabilities, potentially leading to data exfiltration, manipulation of indexed content, or disruption of database services. The compromise of Oracle Text specifically affects the database's ability to perform full-text searches, which could impact business applications relying on document search functionality, content management systems, and any application that depends on Oracle's text processing capabilities. The high confidentiality impact (C:H) suggests that sensitive text data within the database could be accessed, while the integrity impact (I:H) indicates potential modification of indexed content or database metadata, and the availability impact (A:H) means that database services could be disrupted or rendered unavailable.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-14734 should focus on immediate patch application from Oracle as the primary defense mechanism, addressing the root cause of the vulnerability in Oracle Text component. Organizations should implement network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict access to Oracle Net listener ports, particularly limiting access to trusted networks and IP addresses. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual Oracle Net traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and the principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that Oracle Text components only accept connections from authorized applications and users. Additionally, implementing Oracle Database Vault or similar security features can provide additional protection layers, while regular security audits should verify that no unauthorized modifications have occurred to the Oracle Text configuration or access controls. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under network service scanning and exploitation techniques, specifically targeting database services and highlighting the importance of securing database communication protocols as part of comprehensive cybersecurity defense strategies. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on potential exploitation attempts targeting Oracle Database vulnerabilities, and maintain regular backup and recovery procedures to ensure business continuity in case of successful compromise.