# CVE-2008-6065: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Authenticated users with directory creation privileges can escalate to SYSDBA by overwriting the password file via directory aliasing.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Feb 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j3hv-8587-44rm

## What is CVE-2008-6065?

CVE-2008-6065 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Database Server, published on 5 Feb 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Oracle Database Server 10.1, 10.2, and 11g grants directory WRITE permissions for arbitrary pathnames that are aliased in a CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY statement, which allows remote authenticated users with CREATE ANY DIRECTORY privileges to gain SYSDBA privileges by aliasing the pathname of the password directory, and then overwriting the password file through UTL_FILE operations, a related issue to CVE-2006-7141.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-6065?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Oracle Database Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-6065?

No fix has been published for CVE-2008-6065 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2008-6065 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-6065 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Oracle Database Server 11.1 - 'CREATE ANY Directory' Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Database Server

- [CVE-2015-4863](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4863/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-1534](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1534/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-0071](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0071/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1979](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1979/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1985/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-6065 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-6065 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Oracle Database Server, published on 5 Feb 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-6065 exists.

Affected product: Oracle Database Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6065/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6065/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-6065
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-6065
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-6065

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6065/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.