Security Advisories and Notifications

Security Advisory: (BEA05-99.00)

From: Oracle Corporation

Minor Subject: The password used to boot the server may appear in clear text in the Windows registry.

Product(s) Affected: WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express

Threat level: Low

An attacker with read access to the Windows registry may be able to see the password for the server.

Severity: High

The administrative username and password for a server may be compromised.

A problem was identified that could potentially cause a security vulnerability in certain versions of WebLogic Server. Patches and an upgrade are available to correct this problem (see Section II). Oracle treats potential security problems with a high degree of urgency and endeavors to take appropriate steps to help ensure the security of our customers' systems. As a result, Oracle strongly suggests the following actions:

I. Read the following advisory.

II. Apply the suggested action.

III. If you know of any additional users interested in future security advisories, please forward them the registration instructions included in this advisory.

I. Advisory

Windows sites where WebLogic Server is installed as a service are susceptible to this vulnerability.

When WebLogic Server is installed on a Windows machine and configured to run as a service, the administrative password used to boot the server is stored in the Windows registry. In some cases, the password may be incorrectly stored in clear text. An attacker with read access to the server's Windows registry could view the password and use it to compromise an administrative account.

The issue was resolved by correcting the algorithm used to store the WebLogic Server password in the Windows registry.

The following versions of WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express are affected by this vulnerability

  • WebLogic Server 8.1 released through Service Pack 4, on all platforms.
  • WebLogic Server 7.0 released through Service Pack 6, on all platforms.
  • WebLogic Server 6.1 released through Service Pack 7, on all platforms.

II. SUGGESTED ACTION

Oracle strongly recommends the following course of actions.

WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express version 8.1

  1. Upgrade to service pack 5.

WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express version 7.0

  1. Upgrade to WebLogic Server version 7.0 Service Pack 6.
  2. Download and apply the patch #7823850 from OracleMetaLink as per the instructions below:
    1. Select the Patches and Updates tab after logging in to OracleMetaLink.
    2. Click Simple Search.
    3. In the Search By field, select Patch Number from the list.
    4. Enter the patch number. The patch number may be different for different product releases and platforms.
    5. Select the platform (or choose generic as applicable)
    6. Click Go.
    7. Click Download to download the patch.
  3. Extract beasvc.exe from the zip file and install it in your server/bin directory.

WebLogic Server 7.0 Service Pack 7 will include the functionality in this patch.

WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express version 6.1

  1. Upgrade to WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express 6.1 Service Pack 7.
  2. Download and apply the patch #7823841 from OracleMetaLink as per the instructions below:
    1. Select the Patches and Updates tab after logging in to OracleMetaLink.
    2. Click Simple Search.
    3. In the Search By field, select Patch Number from the list.
    4. Enter the patch number. The patch number may be different for different product releases and platforms.
    5. Select the platform (or choose generic as applicable)
    6. Click Go.
    7. Click Download to download the patch.
  3. Extract beasvc.exe from the zip file and install it in your server/bin directory.

WebLogic Server 6.1 Service Pack 8 will include the functionality in this patch.

SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS

Oracle strongly suggests that customers apply the remedies recommended in all our security advisories. Oracle also urges customers to apply every Service/Maintenance Pack as they are released. Service/Maintenance Packs include a roll-up of all bug fixes for each version of the product, as well as each of the prior Service/Maintenance Packs. Service/Maintenance Packs.

As a policy, if there are any security-related issues with any Oracle product, Oracle will distribute an advisory and instructions with the appropriate course of action. Because the security of your site, data, and code is our highest priority, we are committed to communicating all security-related issues clearly and openly.

Additional users who wish to register for product advisory distribution should follow the registration directions at: http://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/.

Security issues can be reported to Oracle by following the directions at: http://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/.

Thank you,

Oracle Corporation