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Secure BackupApplication · Oracle

CVE-2009-1978

HIGH · 9.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-07-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable 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
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Secure Backup component in Oracle Secure Backup 10.2.0.3 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the July 2009 Oracle CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from an independent researcher that this vulnerability allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges via vectors involving property_box.php.

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

CVE-2009-1978 is a critical vulnerability in Oracle Secure Backup 10.2.0.3 that allows remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges via the property_box.php component, leading to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

MitigationApply the relevant Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) from July 2009 for Oracle Secure Backup, or upgrade to a patched version if running 10.2.0.3. Restrict network access to the Oracle Secure Backup interface to minimize exposure.

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
Secure BackupApplication
Affected:= 10.2.0.3

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
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/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. Identify Oracle Secure Backup installation
    Check for Oracle Secure Backup service or web interface. Common paths include /opt/oracle/backup/ or look for the 'osb' service. Check for the web interface typically on port 443 or 80.
    Affected if Oracle Secure Backup is installed and running
  2. Determine installed Oracle Secure Backup version
    Access the Oracle Secure Backup web interface and check the version displayed in the login page or admin console, or query the installation via command line if available (e.g., 'ob -version' or check installation logs).
    Affected if Version is exactly 10.2.0.3
  3. Verify property_box.php is accessible
    Attempt to access the property_box.php script via HTTP/HTTPS to the Oracle Secure Backup web interface (e.g., https://server/property_box.php). Check if the script returns a response rather than a 404 error.
    Affected if The property_box.php script is accessible via the web interface
  4. Assess network exposure of Oracle Secure Backup interface
    Check firewall rules, network configuration, or scan the network to determine if the Oracle Secure Backup web port (typically 443 or 80) is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet.
    Affected if The web interface is accessible from untrusted networks or the internet

A user is affected if Oracle Secure Backup version 10.2.0.3 is installed AND the property_box.php component is accessible, especially from untrusted networks.

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 the relevant Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) from July 2009 for Oracle Secure Backup, or upgrade to a patched version if running 10.2.0.3. Restrict network access to the Oracle Secure Backup interface to minimize exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Oracle Secure Backup 10.3.0 or later (or apply July 2009 CPU patch to 10.2.0.3)

  1. 1. Check current Oracle Secure Backup version using 'obweb -v' or 'obcm -version' command
  2. 2. Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) for July 2009 which addresses CVE-2009-1978 - obtain the patch from Oracle Support (Patch ID typically available in the July 2009 CPU advisory)
  3. 3. If unable to apply the CPU patch, upgrade to a later version of Oracle Secure Backup that includes the fix
  4. 4. After applying patch or upgrade, verify the property_box.php file has been removed or secured
  5. 5. Restart Oracle Secure Backup services using 'obndmgr -c shutdown' then 'obndmgr -c start'
Caveat Upgrading to a later major version may require migration testing and could have configuration changes; applying CPU patches typically has lower risk but requires Oracle Support access

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

Fix this in Secure Backup Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2009-1978 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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