CVE-2023-21969 in SQL Developer
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Vulnerability in Oracle SQL Developer (component: Installation). Supported versions that are affected are Prior to 23.1.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle SQL Developer executes to compromise Oracle SQL Developer. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle SQL Developer. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.7 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-21969 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle SQL Developer's installation component that affects versions prior to 23.1.0. This vulnerability operates at the system level and specifically targets the installation process of Oracle SQL Developer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited during the software deployment phase. The flaw is classified as easily exploitable, indicating that attackers with minimal technical expertise can leverage it effectively, particularly when they already possess high-privileged access to the target infrastructure where Oracle SQL Developer is installed and executed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient security controls during the installation process of Oracle SQL Developer, creating an attack surface that allows malicious actors to compromise the application itself. The CVSS 3.1 scoring of 6.7 reflects the severity of potential impacts, with high scores across confidentiality, integrity, and availability metrics. This assessment indicates that successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of the Oracle SQL Developer environment, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code and gain full control over the application. The vulnerability's access vector is local (AV:L), requiring the attacker to already have system-level access, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and high privileges required (PR:H) make it particularly dangerous when attackers have already breached the system perimeter.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application compromise, as it can lead to complete system takeover of Oracle SQL Developer installations. This represents a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on database development and management tools, as the compromise of SQL Developer can provide attackers with access to database schemas, connection information, and potentially sensitive data stored within the database systems. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 120 (Buffer Overflow) and its alignment with ATT&CK technique T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) demonstrates how attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious commands and establish persistent access. Organizations using older versions of Oracle SQL Developer face substantial risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to database environments and potentially escalate privileges to other system components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-21969 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to Oracle SQL Developer 23.1.0 or later, which contain the necessary security patches to address the installation component vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege management to limit who can install or modify Oracle SQL Developer installations, thereby reducing the attack surface. Network segmentation and monitoring of installation activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments of database development environments can identify other potential vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated version to ensure compatibility with existing database development workflows and configurations. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and monitoring for unusual installation activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.