Pete Finnigan's Oracle Security Weblog

Today Application Security Inc have released details of a buffer overflow bug in the package MDSYS.SDO_CS.TRANSFORM:

Team SHATTER Security Alert

Oracle Database Buffer overflow vulnerability in function
MDSYS.SDO_CS.TRANSFORM

October 29, 2007

Risk Level:
High

Affected versions:
Oracle Database Server versions 8iR3, 9iR1, 9iR2 (9.2.0.6 and previous
patchsets) and 10gR1 (10.1.0.4 and previous patchsets)

Remote exploitable:
Yes (Authentication to Database Server is needed)

Credits:
This vulnerability was discovered and researched by Esteban Martínez
Fayó of Application Security Inc.

Details:
Oracle Database Server provides the MDSYS.SDO_CS package that contains
subprograms for working with coordinate systems. This package contains
the function TRANSFORM which is vulnerable to buffer overflow attacks.

Impact:
By default MDSYS.SDO_CS has EXECUTE permission to PUBLIC so any Oracle
database user can exploit this vulnerability. Exploitation of this
vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code. It can also
be exploited to cause DoS (Denial of service) killing the Oracle server
process.

Vendor Status:
Vendor was informed about this vulnerability on 2/22/2005 and a patch
was released on 10/16/2007.

Workaround:
Restrict access to the MDSYS.SDO_CS package.

Fix:
Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2007 available at Oracle
Metalink.

Links:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/security/critical-patch-updates/cpuoct2007.html
http://www.appsecinc.com/resources/alerts/oracle/2007-09.shtml