CVE-2021-35576Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Audit evasion via database upgrade mode

Published Oct 20, 2021 · Updated Sep 25, 2024

Audit bypass in Oracle Database 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1, and 19c allows remote authenticated users to suppress custom audit records. When the database starts in upgrade mode, Unified Audit records default policies but silently omits events governed by enabled custom policies. A high-privileged account with Local Logon rights and Oracle Net access can perform audited reads or data changes without a corresponding custom-policy trail entry.

CVSS severity2.7
Low
EPSS probability1.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Audit bypass in Oracle Database 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1, and 19c allows remote authenticated users to suppress custom audit records. When the database starts in upgrade mode, Unified Audit records default policies but silently omits events governed by enabled custom policies. A high-privileged account with Local Logon rights and Oracle Net access can perform audited reads or data changes without a corresponding custom-policy trail entry.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-35576
Published
Oct 20, 2021
Updated
Sep 25, 2024
Vendor
Oracle Corporation
Product
Oracle Database
Classifications
T1562.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 20, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 25, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=12.1.0.2
  2. Affected versionversion=12.2.0.1
  3. Affected versionversion=19c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Oracle Corporation · Oracle Databaseversion=12.1.0.2; version=12.2.0.1; version=19c

Published CVSS scores

4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N
2.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
2.7Oracle CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1562.001Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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