CVE-2009-1979
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the Network Authentication component in Oracle Database 10.1.0.5 and 10.2.0.4 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the October 2009 CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from an independent researcher that this is related to improper validation of the AUTH_SESSKEY parameter length that leads to arbitrary code execution.
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 · high confidenceThis is a critical vulnerability in Oracle Database's Network Authentication component where improper validation of the AUTH_SESSKEY parameter length allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with high privileges, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
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= 10.1.0.5= 10.2.0.4CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Oracle Database version via SQLConnect to the database using SQL*Plus or SQL Developer and run: SELECT * FROM v$version;Affected if The version banner shows exactly 10.1.0.5 or 10.2.0.4
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Confirm version via listenerRun: lsnrctl version or check the listener log files in $ORACLE_HOME/network/log/Affected if The listener reports version 10.1.0.5 or 10.2.0.4
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Verify Oracle Net is enabledCheck if the database listener (TNS) is running and accepting remote connections: lsnrctl statusAffected if Remote database connections are enabled through Oracle Net Services
Your environment is affected only if you are running precisely Oracle Database Server version 10.1.0.5 or 10.2.0.4 with Oracle Net/network authentication services enabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply the October 2009 Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) or upgrade to a supported Oracle Database version as 10.1.0.5 and 10.2.0.4 are no longer supported.
Oracle Database 10.2.0.5 or later 10.2.x release (or migrate to a supported version like 11g/12c)
- Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2009 (CPUOct2009) which addresses CVE-2009-1979, OR
- Upgrade Oracle Database from version 10.1.0.5 to 10.2.0.5 (or later 10.2.x release) which includes the fix
- After applying the patch or upgrade, verify the AUTH_SESSKEY parameter validation is corrected by reviewing the October 2009 CPU release notes
- Test the Network Authentication component thoroughly in a staging environment before production deployment
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-1979 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-1979 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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