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DatabaseDatabase / datastore · Oracle

CVE-2022-21511

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-07-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Vulnerability in the Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition Recovery component of Oracle Database Server. For supported versions that are affected see note. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker having EXECUTE ON DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT privilege with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition Recovery. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition Recovery. Note: None of the supported versions are affected. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/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 · moderate confidence

Vulnerability in Oracle Database Enterprise Edition's Recovery component (DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT) allows high-privileged attackers with network access via Oracle Net to execute arbitrary code and take over the Recovery module. Requires EXECUTE ON DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT privilege, which is a high but attainable privilege level.

MitigationEnsure Oracle Database is on a supported version (none currently affected per Oracle's note). If running unsupported versions, restrict the EXECUTE ON DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT privilege to minimal required users and limit Oracle Net network access to trusted sources.

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
DatabaseDatabase / datastore
Affected:all versions

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
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/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. Verify DBMS_IR package exists
    Query USER_OBJECTS or ALL_OBJECTS for object_name = 'DBMS_IR' and object_type = 'PACKAGE'
    Affected if The package exists in the database, meaning the Recovery module is installed and potentially vulnerable
  2. Identify accounts with EXECUTE privilege on DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT
    Query DBA_TAB_PRIVS or ALL_TAB_PRIVS where GRANTEE != 'PUBLIC' and PRIVILEGE = 'EXECUTE' and TABLE_NAME = 'DBMS_IR'
    Affected if Any user or role besides PUBLIC has EXECUTE on DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT - this privilege is required for exploitation
  3. Check Oracle Net listener accessibility
    Review LISTENER.ORA and SQLNET.ORA for INBOUND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, VALID_NODE_CHECKING, or TCP.INVITED_NODES configuration to determine if network access is restricted
    Affected if The Oracle Net listener accepts connections from untrusted networks - attacker needs network access via Oracle Net
  4. Confirm Oracle Database version
    Query V$VERSION or banner from SELECT * FROM V$VERSION
    Affected if Running any version of Oracle Database - per Oracle's advisory all versions are affected

User is affected if DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT is present and any untrusted account has EXECUTE privilege on it with network exposure to Oracle Net.

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

Ensure Oracle Database is on a supported version (none currently affected per Oracle's note). If running unsupported versions, restrict the EXECUTE ON DBMS_IR.EXECUTESQLSCRIPT privilege to minimal required users and limit Oracle Net network access to trusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a currently supported Oracle Database release (19c, 21c, or 23c as appropriate per Oracle's support timeline)

  1. Verify your current Oracle Database version using V$VERSION or dba_server_registry
  2. Confirm you are running a supported version of Oracle Database Enterprise Edition
  3. If running an unsupported version, upgrade to a supported version (see Oracle Critical Patch Updates)
  4. Check Oracle Support Note 2516385.1 for any applicable patches for this CVE
  5. Apply any relevant Critical Patch Update (CPU) for your Oracle Database version
Caveat Review Oracle's upgrade documentation for your target version for compatibility considerations and required migration steps

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

Fix this in Database Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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-2022-21511 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