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Database ServerDatabase / datastore · Oracle

CVE-2026-21939

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 23.26 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 SQLcl component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 23.4.0-23.26.0. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where SQLcl executes to compromise SQLcl. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of SQLcl. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/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 SQLcl (SQL*Plus Command Line) allowing an attacker with local system access to compromise SQLcl through social engineering or tricking a legitimate user into performing actions. The attack requires human interaction from a victim and leads to complete takeover of the SQLcl component.

MitigationApply Oracle Critical Patch Updates when available. Until then, strictly limit who can logon to systems running SQLcl, monitor for suspicious user behavior, and educate users about social engineering risks.

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:>= 23.4, <= 23.26

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/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. Confirm SQLcl is installed
    Locate the sqlcl executable on the system. Common paths include $ORACLE_HOME/bin/sqlcl, or check via command: which sqlcl (Linux/Unix) or where sqlcl (Windows)
    Affected if SQLcl is found on the system
  2. Identify SQLcl version
    Run sqlcl with version flag or check the product release: sql -v or sql /? or inspect the sqlcl binary metadata. If Oracle Database Server is installed, check via SQL*Plus: SELECT * FROM V$VERSION;
    Affected if The installed version falls within >= 23.4 and <= 23.26 (or the corrected version range as published by Oracle)
  3. Verify local system access controls
    Review which OS users have login access to the system where SQLcl runs. Check /etc/passwd (Unix/Linux) or local user accounts (Windows) and review sudo/administrator group memberships
    Affected if Multiple users or untrusted users have local system access
  4. Inspect SQLcl configuration files
    Check SQLcl configuration directories for any unexpected scripts, login.sql, or glogin.sql files that could be leveraged in the social engineering attack. Common locations: $ORACLE_HOME/sqlplus/admin/ or user home directories
    Affected if Unexpected or modified SQLcl configuration files exist, or configuration allows execution of external scripts
  5. Review user session logging
    Check if SQLcl audit logging is enabled. In SQL*Plus: SHOW AUDIT; or verify audit trail settings in the database if SQLcl connects to a database
    Affected if No audit or logging is configured for SQLcl sessions, preventing detection of compromise attempts

The environment is affected if SQLcl is installed and its version is within 23.4 through 23.26 (or the corrected range) AND untrusted users have local system access that could enable social engineering attacks.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 23.26
Interim mitigation

Apply Oracle Critical Patch Updates when available. Until then, strictly limit who can logon to systems running SQLcl, monitor for suspicious user behavior, and educate users about social engineering risks.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Oracle Database 23c version 23.27 or later

  1. Verify current SQLcl version by running: sql -version
  2. Download Oracle Database 23c (23.27 or later) from Oracle's official website or Oracle Cloud console
  3. Backup any existing SQLcl scripts, configurations, and customizations
  4. Install the updated Oracle Database 23c client or tools that include the fixed SQLcl version
  5. Migrate any custom SQLcl configurations, scripts, or aliases to the new installation
  6. Test SQLcl functionality in a non-production environment before deploying to production
  7. Update any automation or deployment scripts that reference specific SQLcl versions
Caveat Review Oracle Database 23c upgrade documentation for any configuration or compatibility changes; test thoroughly in non-production first

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

Fix this in Database Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2026-21939 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