dbcve.org
Advanced Networking OptionApplication · Oracle

CVE-2021-2018

HIGH · 8.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-01-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
Vulnerability in the Advanced Networking Option component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 18c and 19c. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Advanced Networking Option. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Advanced Networking Option, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Advanced Networking Option. Note: CVE-2021-2018 affects Windows platform only. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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 confidence

Unauthenticated remote vulnerability in Oracle Database Advanced Networking Option (ANO) affecting versions 18c and 19c on Windows platforms. Attacker with network access via Oracle Net can compromise ANO, requiring human interaction from a person other than the attacker, and can result in complete takeover of the ANO component.

MitigationApply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) containing the fix for CVE-2021-2018. Restrict Oracle Net network access and monitor for suspicious Oracle Net connections as interim measures until patching is complete.

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
Advanced Networking OptionApplication
Affected:= 18c= 19c
Adaptive Access ManagerApplication
Affected:= 11.1.2.3.0
Data IntegratorApplication
Affected:= 11.1.1.9.0= 12.2.1.3.0= 12.2.1.4.0
Enterprise Manager For Fusion ApplicationsApplication
Affected:= 13.3.0.0
Hospitality SimphonyApplication
Affected:= 18.2.7.2= 19.1.3
Weblogic ServerApplication
Affected:= 12.2.1.3.0

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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 Database version
    Run 'SELECT VERSION FROM V$INSTANCE;' or check Oracle inventory via 'opatch lspatch' for database home patches
    Affected if Version is 18c or 19c
  2. Confirm Windows platform
    Check OS with 'SELECT UPPER(SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','SERVER_PLATFORM')) FROM DUAL;' or verify Windows via operating system commands
    Affected if Running on Windows platform (the vulnerability is Windows-specific)
  3. Verify Advanced Networking Option is installed
    Query 'SELECT COMP_NAME, VERSION, STATUS FROM DBA_REGISTRY WHERE COMP_NAME LIKE '%Advanced%';' or check Oracle inventory for ANO components
    Affected if ANO is installed and present in the database registry with status VALID
  4. Confirm Oracle Net listener is accessible
    Check listener status via 'lsnrctl status' and review listener.ora configuration for network exposure
    Affected if Oracle Net listener is exposed to network (not restricted to localhost or secured network)
  5. Review listener security configuration
    Examine listener.ora for VALID_NODE_CHECKING, SECURE_REGISTER, and ADMIN_RESTRICTIONS settings
    Affected if Listener lacks proper node validation or secure registration controls

You are affected if running Oracle Database 18c or 19c on Windows with Advanced Networking Option installed and Oracle Net listener accessible via network.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) containing the fix for CVE-2021-2018. Restrict Oracle Net network access and monitor for suspicious Oracle Net connections as interim measures until patching is complete.

Fix this in Advanced Networking Option Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-2018 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