CVE-2026-101501 in Trusted Answer Search
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Vulnerability in Oracle Trusted Answer Search (component: PLSQL package). The supported version that is affected is 26.1. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Oracle Trusted Answer Search. While the vulnerability is in Oracle Trusted Answer Search, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle Trusted Answer Search accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Trusted Answer Search accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle Trusted Answer Search. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 9.9 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H).
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Oracle Trusted Answer Search component, specifically affecting its PLSQL package implementation in version 26.1 of the software suite. This flaw represents a critical security deficiency that undermines the integrity and availability of the database management system's trusted search functionalities. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation or access control mechanisms within the PLSQL code, which allows for improper handling of user inputs or state transitions during search operations. Because Oracle Trusted Answer Search is deeply integrated with the broader Oracle Database infrastructure, this localized flaw has a significant scope change potential. An attacker who exploits this vulnerability does not merely compromise the specific search module but can trigger cascading effects that impact additional products and services running on the same instance, thereby expanding the blast radius of the attack beyond the initial component boundary.
From an exploitation perspective, the vulnerability is characterized by its ease of use and low barrier to entry for attackers. It requires only a low-privileged account with network access via Oracle Net to initiate a successful exploit. This means that even users with minimal permissions within the database environment can leverage this flaw without needing complex pre-authentication steps or user interaction. The attack vector is remote, allowing an adversary located over a network to target the system directly. Once executed, the vulnerability leads to severe consequences across all three pillars of the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Specifically, attackers gain unauthorized capabilities to create, delete, or modify critical data within Oracle Trusted Answer Search as well as any other accessible data linked through the compromised scope. This represents a high-impact breach of data integrity and potential exposure of sensitive information if read access is also leveraged for specific subsets of data.
The operational impact extends beyond mere data manipulation to include service disruption. Successful exploitation can result in a complete denial of service, manifesting as hangs or frequently repeatable crashes of the Oracle Trusted Answer Search process. This availability impact ensures that legitimate users are unable to perform necessary search operations, effectively rendering the component useless until manual intervention or system restart occurs. The combination of high-impact integrity and availability violations with low-confidentiality impacts results in a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.9, indicating an extremely critical severity level. This score reflects the potential for widespread disruption and data corruption within enterprise environments that rely on Oracle databases for mission-critical operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management or CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write depending on the specific memory handling flaw, while its exploitation pattern corresponds to ATT&CK techniques involving lateral movement via database protocols and potential data exfiltration if read access is fully realized.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching of the affected Oracle Trusted Answer Search component to version 26.1 or later where this issue has been resolved by vendor engineering teams. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should implement strict network segmentation rules to restrict Oracle Net traffic from untrusted networks and enforce rigorous least-privilege access controls for all database accounts. Monitoring tools should be configured to detect anomalous patterns in PLSQL execution or unusual spikes in resource consumption that may indicate an attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. Additionally, enabling advanced auditing features within the Oracle Database can help identify unauthorized attempts to modify critical data structures associated with the search functionality. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on database interfaces are recommended to ensure that such low-privileged remote code execution paths remain closed against evolving threat landscapes.