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        Oracle Security >> Oracle Security >> DB Hackers Handbook
        
(Message started by: Pete Finnigan on Jul 26^th, 2005, 9:32am)

Title: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 26^th, 2005, 9:32am

Hello Pete and Oracle Security folks,
Just been reading Oracle section in DB Hackers Handbook and thought I would recommend it as there are some interesting new issues explained very clearly.
Goodluck with the Forum :)
Cheers,
Paul

Title: Re: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 26^th, 2005, 11:02am

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the recomendation, I was aware of David's new book quite a long time ago when it wasn't available. I have just ordered it now from Amazon. You didn't give out the details of the book so I will do it now. The book is called "The Database hackers handbook" and it is written by David Litchfield, Chris Anley, John Heasman and Bill Grindlay (ISBN 0764578014) and covers hacking various database servers including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, PostGres, Sybase and MySQL.

For UK readers the book is available at - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0764578014&link_code=as2&camp=1634&tag=petefinnigora-21&creative=6738">The Database Hacker's Handbook</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=petefinnigora-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0764578014" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> and for US readers on - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0764578014&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=petefinnigora-20&creative=9325">The Database Hacker's Handbook : Defending Database Servers</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=petefinnigora-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0764578014" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

As I said I have not seen it yet but I am sure David has included some previously un-published Oracle vulnerabilities and exploits. One reviewer on Amazon said the Oracle section is weak on how to secure the database but I don't think that this is what the book is aimed at. The book is aimed at showing how a hacker can gain access to your data and the underlying server by attacking database software.

cheers Paul,

Pete

Title: Re: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 27^th, 2005, 2:08pm

I was a little disappointed in the Oracle material for the Database Hackers Handbook. David does provide some interesting information (detailed below), but the areas I was specifically interested in (unwrapping wrapped code, using debuggers effectively with the DB), are not covered.

David does provide some interesting tools (source to a tool to enumerate the Oracle DB version, source to a tool to dump information from the intelligent agent). He also includes a C tool similar to tnscmd.pl raw mode.

Some other interesting tidbits:

+ Flaw in the server wrapping process where an overly long constant causes a buffer overflow (no exploit code or additional details provided)
+ Some previously unreleased details about flaws in WKSYS.WK_ADM and WKSYS.WK_ACL (SQL Injection bugs, examples provided).
+ Flaw in 10g's DBMS_EXPORT_EXTENSION.GET_DOMAIN_INDEX_METADATA package (SQL Injection)
+ CTXSYS.DRILOAD.VALIDATE_STMT details
+ Exploits for triggers where PUBLIC is granted privileges for the action that causes the trigger to fire

There was also a brief section on iAS attacks, and then additional detail on exploiting the OS once access to the DB has been obtained. The Securing Oracle section was very weak, but as Pete points out, that's not why you buy this book. Perhaps the publishers insisted that they include some securing information to make the book attractive to a wider audience?

In all, I recommend purchasing this book. I especially liked the amount of detail David uses to describe how WKSYS works, including the ability to exploit triggers based on other granted privileges. It clearly illustrates that even Oracle doesn't think out security for these complex packages before granting access to PUBLIC.

-Josh

Title: Re: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 27^th, 2005, 2:27pm

Hi Josh,

I just want to add to your excellent post about David's book that the CTXSYS.DRILOAD.VALIDATE_STMT vulnerability has become relevant again as this is one of the bugs that was not fixed properly in the April CPU even though this CPU said it was fixed. I have just posted an entry in my blog titled Oracle Patches Its Security Patches - Database patches fix flaws found in previous fixes (http://www.petefinnigan.com/weblog/archives/00000485.htm) that talks about Oracle's current woes with patches to fix patches to fix patches. This article doesn;t mention th DRILOAD issue directly but it was talked about in some of my posts around July 7 about the emails from Oracle on the April CPU issues.

cheers

Pete

Title: Re: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 27^th, 2005, 8:50pm

Just wanted to point out that the code for the book is available at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyAncillary/productCd-0764578014.html.

-Josh

Title: Re: DB Hackers Handbook
Post by Pete Finnigan on Jul 29^th, 2005, 3:29pm

Just thought I would report that I got my copy today from Amazon. I will let you know what I think whn i have read the Oracle chapters./

cheers

Pete