CVE-2024-29984 in OLE DB Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 04/09/2024
Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2025
The CVE-2024-29984 vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server, which serves as a fundamental component for database connectivity in numerous enterprise applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the OLE DB provider functionality that enables applications to connect to sql server databases through various programming interfaces. The flaw exists within the driver's handling of certain input parameters during database connection establishment and query processing operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious connection strings or query parameters that trigger unexpected behavior in the driver's parsing mechanisms. The vulnerability impacts organizations relying on Microsoft's database connectivity stack, particularly those using legacy applications that depend on OLE DB interfaces for database communication. This affects both on-premises deployments and cloud-based sql server environments where the affected driver components are installed.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2024-29984 occurs through improper input validation within the OLE DB driver's internal processing routines. When the driver receives specially crafted input data, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the parameters before processing them through internal parsing functions. This leads to memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The flaw typically manifests during connection string parsing or when processing specific database query constructs that involve extended data types or parameterized inputs. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that OLE DB drivers are commonly deployed in enterprise environments where applications may not be properly isolated from untrusted input sources. This creates an attack surface where malicious actors can inject crafted payloads through database connection parameters or query inputs that flow through applications using the affected driver. The underlying technical mechanism aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate code execution capabilities to encompass broader security implications for enterprise database environments. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges, or extract sensitive data from connected sql server instances. Organizations may experience service disruption as attackers leverage the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to critical database resources, potentially leading to data breaches and compliance violations. The vulnerability affects not only the targeted sql server instances but also applications that depend on OLE DB connectivity for their database operations, creating cascading security risks across interconnected systems. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to move laterally within networks, particularly in environments where database servers are not properly segmented from other network components. The impact is amplified in scenarios where applications using the affected driver process untrusted input from end users or external systems, making the attack vector more accessible and potentially affecting a larger number of vulnerable endpoints.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Microsoft, which address the input validation issues within the OLE DB driver components. Network segmentation strategies should be enforced to limit access to sql server instances from untrusted networks, particularly restricting direct connectivity to database servers from application tiers. Input validation controls should be strengthened at application layers that interface with database systems, ensuring that all connection parameters and query inputs are properly sanitized before being processed by the OLE DB driver. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual database connection patterns or parameter values that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict which applications can utilize the OLE DB driver components, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, and T1046 for network service scanning, making comprehensive monitoring essential for early detection. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify systems running vulnerable versions of the OLE DB driver, and privileged access controls should be reviewed to ensure that database connections are properly restricted based on least privilege principles.