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Database ServerDatabase / datastore · Oracle

CVE-2006-0261

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2006-01-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Oracle Database server 8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, and 10.1.0.5 have unspecified impact and attack vectors, as identified by Oracle Vuln# (1) DB07 in the Dictionary component and (2) DB14 in the Oracle Label Security component. NOTE: Oracle has not disputed reliable researcher claims that DB07 involves plaintext storage of the TDE wallet password in a trace file by event 10053.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Oracle Database contains a critical information disclosure vulnerability where the Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) wallet password is stored in plaintext within trace files via event 10053. This exposes sensitive encryption credentials that could allow attackers to decrypt encrypted data at rest. The vulnerability affects Dictionary component (DB07) with an unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Label Security (DB14).

MitigationApply Oracle Critical Patch Updates for affected versions (8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, 10.1.0.5) or upgrade to supported versions; immediately restrict file system access to trace directories and audit for any exposed trace files containing plaintext credentials.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Database ServerDatabase / datastore
Affected:= 8.1.7.4= 9.0.1.5= 9.2.0.7= 10.1.0.5

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Oracle Database version
    Query v$version or registry$history to determine the exact installed version. Compare against affected versions: 8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, 10.1.0.5
    Affected if Installed version matches any of the four affected versions listed
  2. Verify if Transparent Data Encryption is enabled
    Check for the presence of the wallet file (e.g., $ORACLE_HOME/ewallet.p12) and query V$ENCRYPTION_WALLET or check for ENCRYPTION_WALLET initialization parameter
    Affected if TDE wallet files exist and the wallet is configured (indicating TDE is in use)
  3. Locate trace file directories
    Query the initialization parameters USER_DUMP_DEST and BACKGROUND_DUMP_DEST to identify trace file locations, typically under $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/trace/
    Affected if Trace directories are accessible and contain trace files from the affected database version
  4. Search trace files for event 10053
    Search trace files for the string 'event 10053' or examine files in the trace directories for trace files generated with this event enabled
    Affected if Trace files containing event 10053 are present in the trace directory
  5. Inspect trace files for plaintext wallet passwords
    Open trace files (particularly those with event 10053) and search for plaintext strings that may appear to be wallet passwords, encryption keys, or credentials
    Affected if Any trace file contains plaintext wallet passwords or encryption credentials

User is affected if running an affected Oracle version (8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, or 10.1.0.5) with TDE enabled and event 10053 trace files contain plaintext wallet credentials.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Oracle Critical Patch Updates for affected versions (8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, 10.1.0.5) or upgrade to supported versions; immediately restrict file system access to trace directories and audit for any exposed trace files containing plaintext credentials.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Migrate to a currently supported Oracle Database version (11g R2, 12c, 19c, or 21c as appropriate) - these legacy 8i/9i/10g versions are long end-of-life

  1. Identify the current Oracle Database version in use (8.1.7.4, 9.0.1.5, 9.2.0.7, or 10.1.0.5)
  2. Plan migration to a supported Oracle Database version as these releases are end-of-life
  3. For the TDE wallet password disclosure (DB07), avoid using event 10053 trace logging in production environments
  4. If immediate upgrade is not possible, apply Oracle Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) relevant to these versions if available from Oracle support
  5. Review Oracle Metalink/My Oracle Support for legacy patch bundles addressing CVE-2006-0261
Caveat Legacy applications may require testing for compatibility with newer Oracle versions; deprecated features in 10g+ may require code changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Database Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-0261 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data