CVE-2024-21058 in Database Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 04/17/2024
Vulnerability in the Unified Audit component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 19.3-19.22 and 21.3-21.13. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker having SYSDBA privilege with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Unified Audit. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Unified Audit accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.9 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-21058 resides within Oracle Database Server's Unified Audit component, representing a significant security weakness that affects specific version ranges including 19.3 through 19.22 and 21.3 through 21.13. This flaw operates at the intersection of database auditing and network security, creating a pathway for attackers who already possess elevated privileges to further compromise audit mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack surface requires minimal complexity to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where database administrators maintain SYSDBA privileges. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.9 with a vector of AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N demonstrates that while the attack requires network access and high privileges, the potential impact on data integrity is severe, specifically targeting the modification, creation, and deletion capabilities of unified audit data.
The technical flaw manifests through Oracle Net protocol interactions, where an attacker with SYSDBA privileges can leverage network connectivity to manipulate unified audit configurations and access. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity of audit trails by allowing unauthorized modifications to audit records, potentially enabling attackers to cover their tracks or manipulate audit data to hide malicious activities. The unified audit functionality serves as a critical control mechanism for database security monitoring, and compromising this system undermines the organization's ability to detect and respond to security incidents effectively. The vulnerability's design flaw lies in the insufficient validation of privilege levels during network-based audit operations, allowing attackers to bypass normal access controls when they already possess the necessary administrative credentials.
Operational impacts of this vulnerability extend beyond immediate data modification threats to encompass broader security posture degradation. Organizations relying on Oracle Database's unified audit features face potential exposure to audit evasion attacks where malicious actors can systematically alter or delete audit records to avoid detection. The consequence of unauthorized access to unified audit data means that security teams lose critical forensic capabilities, as audit trails become unreliable indicators of system activity. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where database audit configurations are critical for compliance requirements, regulatory adherence, and security monitoring. The potential for unauthorized modification access creates scenarios where attackers could disable audit logging, alter audit policies, or manipulate audit records to obscure their activities, fundamentally undermining the integrity of the database security infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-21058 should focus on immediate patch management and enhanced network security controls. Organizations must prioritize applying Oracle's security patches to affected versions, as these updates typically address the privilege validation gaps that enable exploitation. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit network access to database servers, particularly for administrative accounts. Implementing additional monitoring of audit configuration changes and establishing alerts for unauthorized audit modifications can provide early detection capabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a specific instance of privilege escalation through network protocols. Security teams should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege for database administrative accounts and ensuring that network access to Oracle Database instances is restricted to authorized personnel only. Additionally, regular audit trail integrity checks and independent verification of audit configurations should be implemented as part of comprehensive security monitoring strategies to detect potential exploitation attempts.