[COVERT-2001-03] Oracle 8i SQLNet Header Vulnerability

From: COVERT Labs (covertat_private)
Date: Wed Jun 27 2001 - 16:06:17 PDT

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                           Network Associates, Inc. 
                       COVERT Labs Security Advisory 
                               June 27, 2001 
    
                   Oracle 8i SQLNet Header Vulnerability
    
    
                              COVERT-2001-03 
    
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    o Synopsis
    
    A vulnerability in the Oracle implementation of the TNS (Transparent
    Network Substrate) over Net8 (SQLNet) protocol allows a remote user
    to mount a denial of service attack against any Oracle service that
    relies upon the protocol, including the TNS Listener, Oracle Name
    Service and Oracle Connections Manager.
    
    This vulnerability has been designated as CVE candidate CAN-2001-498.
    
    RISK FACTOR: MEDIUM
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    o Vulnerable Systems 
    
    Oracle 8i Standard and Enterprise Editions Version 8.1.5, 8.1.6,
    8.1.7 and all previous versions for Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, 
    HP-UX and Tru64 Unix.
    
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    o Vulnerability Overview
    
    Oracle 8i database platform relies on multiple services for its
    distributed client server computing functionality. Services that 
    are dependant upon the TNS include the TNS Listener, Oracle Name 
    Service and the Oracle Connections Manager. These servers accept 
    client requests and establish TNS data connections between the 
    clients and the services. TNS connections allow clients and services 
    to communicate over a network via a common API, regardless of the 
    network transport protocol used on either end (TCP/IP, IPX, etc). 
    Foundation of the TNS is the session layer protocol Net8 (SQLNet).
    
    The services reliant upon the TNS protocol are critical to an 
    Oracle database environment. The TNS Listener is responsible for 
    maintaining remote communications with Oracle database services, 
    the Oracle Names Service implements database names resolution and 
    Oracle Connections Manager is responsible for managing connections 
    to the database services.  In a default installation, the TNS 
    Listener resides on TCP port 1521, Names Service on TCP port 1575 
    and Connections Manager on TCP ports 1630 (gateway services) and
    1830 (administration services).
    
    A vulnerability exists in the TNS libraries which process Net8 
    (SQLNet) packets. This vulnerability will enable an attacker to 
    mount a denial of service attack against any of the above services 
    by issuing a malformed SQLNet connection request.
    
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    Detailed Information:
    
    A Net8 (SQLNet) connection is made by the client sending an SQLNet 
    packet of Type-1 (NSPTCN) to the service, requesting a connection. 
    SQLNet packets contain a general header and type specific header 
    extensions. A Type-1 packet contains two fields in the type specific 
    header extensions that specify the offset and the length of the 
    connection data within the packet. These two fields are inadequately 
    verified, thus by specifying an offset which points to data beyond 
    the length of the packet, a memory read error is triggered, leading 
    to service termination.
    
    The vulnerability occurs in an early stage of the packet processing, 
    before any authentication or verification of the content takes place.
    This allows for unlogable, unauthenticated remote denial of service 
    attacks.
    
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    o Resolution 
    
    Oracle has produced a patch under bug number 1656431 which is 
    available for download from the Oracle Worldwide Support Services
    web site, Metalink (http://metalink.oracle.com) for the platforms
    identified in this advisory. The patch is in production for all 
    supported releases of the Oracle Database Server.
    
    PGP Security's CyberCop Scanner risk-assessment tool has been 
    updated to detect this vulnerability.
    
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    o Credits 
    
    These vulnerabilities were discovered and documented by Nishad Herath
    of the COVERT Labs at PGP Security.
    
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    o Contact Information 
    
    For more information about the COVERT Labs at PGP Security, visit our
    website at http://www.pgp.com/covert or send e-mail to covertat_private
    
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    o Legal Notice 
    
    The information contained within this advisory is Copyright (C) 2001 
    Networks Associates Technology Inc. It may be redistributed provided 
    that no fee is charged for distribution and that the advisory is not 
    modified in any way. 
    
    Network Associates and PGP are registered Trademarks of Network 
    Associates, Inc. and/or its affiliated companies in the United States
    and/or other Countries. All other registered and unregistered 
    trademarks in this document are the sole property of their respective
    owners. 
    
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