The attackers could have simply extracted or manipulated data through SQL injection, but instead, they expanded the exploit to include long-term persistence and remote command execution. Huntress warned that this is a dangerous evolution.
Features such as Oracle’s embedded JVM, while valuable for enterprise workloads, can also expand the blast radius with sufficient database privileges. “To avoid these types of attacks, it is important to ensure the forms aren’t injectable,” the researchers said. “It’s also important to ensure that users with the ability to execute queries aren’t overprovisioned.”
Huntress recommended looking beyond indicators of SQL injection during incident response. Examining Oracle environments for unexpected Java source objects, compiled Java classes, and stored procedures could indicate abuse of the embedded Java Virtual Machine, it said. The firm also shared indicators of compromise (IOCs), including file hashes, malicious Java artifacts, SQL statements, and search terms to help defenders identify affected systems.
