[CIAC] INFORMATION BULLETIN

M-011: Oracle Trace Collection Security Vulnerability

[Oracle Security Alert # 19]

October 29, 2001 22:00 GMT
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 PROBLEM:           An error in the way Oracle otrcrep binary performs
                    translation on the ORACLE_HOME variable causes a
                    buffer overflow.
 PLATFORM:          All Oracle database server releases (8.0.x, 8.1.x, and
                    9.0.1) on all UNIX platforms.
 DAMAGE:            This buffer overflow allows a local user to
                    potentially upgrade privileges and execute any
                    arbitrary code allowed with oracle user and/or DBA
                    group privileges.
 SOLUTION:          Apply the workaround described below (change the file
                    permissions on all of the Oracle Trace executables as
                    described).
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 VULNERABILITY      The risk is MEDIUM. This buffer overflow results in a
 ASSESSMENT:        privilege upgrade. That is, it requires the attacker
                    to have local user privileges on the vulnerable
                    machine.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 LINKS:
   CIAC BULLETIN:   http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/m-011.shtml
   ORIGINAL         http://otn.oracle.com/deploy/security/pdf/otrcrep.pdf
 BULLETIN:
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[***** Start Oracle Security Alert # 19 *****]

Security Alert #19
Reference Date: 10/18/01

Oracle Trace Collection Security Vulnerability

Overview
A potential security vulnerability has been discovered in the handling
of the environment variable, ORACLE_HOME. A buffer overflow is caused
when the Oracle binary, otrcrep, translates the environment variable,
ORACLE_HOME, into a string of 240 or more bytes. The Oracle binary
otrcrep runs with the SETUID oracle privileges in the operating system
DBA group. The buffer overflow may be exploited by a local user to force
overwriting of stack variables in shared memory including the return
memory address(es) and thereby execute arbitrary (or specific,
malicious) code with the privileges of the oracle user and/or the DBA
group privileges.

Products
All Oracle database server releases (8.0.x, 8.1.x and 9.0.1)

Platforms
All Unix platforms

Workaround
If the ORACLE_HOME environment variable is being translated into a
string of 240 or more bytes, disable Oracle Trace by setting its control
parameter in init.ora as follows:

oracle_trace_enable=FALSE

Change the file permissions on all of the Oracle Trace executables as
follows:
% chmod -s otrccol otrccref otrcfmt otrcrep
% chmod 751 otrccol otrccref otrcfmt otrcrep

Patches
The potential security vulnerability will be code-fixed in the next
release of the Oracle database server which is Oracle9i, Release 2,
only. All other releases of the Oracle database (8.0.x, 8.1.x and 9.0.1)
must use follow the workarounds specified above to circumvent the
potential security vulnerability.

Credits
Oracle wishes to thank Juan Manuel Pascual EscribĂ for discovering these
vulnerabilities and promptly bringing them to Oracle's attention.

[***** End Oracle Security Alert # 19 *****]

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CIAC wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Oracle for the information
contained in this bulletin.
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UCRL-MI-119788