...
Patch sets provide bug fixes only; they do not include new functionality and they do not require certification on the target system.
...

This is so not true

There is at least one new feature: a new package called DBMS_AUDIT_MGMT.

This should be mainly used with Oracle Audit Vault. But they are some interesting procedures and functions for "normal" auditing too:

• defining of file size and aging from os audit files
• automatic purging from audit records
• moving from audit tables in another tablespace (yes - official supported )
• ...

Happy auditing...

File size (Linux 32 bit): 1.5 GB!!! Happy download

But now an official plug-in is available, created by Alex Gorbachev (Pythian Group). It can be downloaded from the "Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Grid Control
Extensions Exchange" page too - and it is tested from Oracle

There are very interesting tables and charts included, for instance:

For more information: see the datasheet.

Some information about it:

• I recommend applying it, if you use Oracle Application Express (APEX) 3.0. Because on iDefense it is described, how easy a security hole can vulnerable.
  You can upgrade to APEX 3.1 too.
• This is the first CPU without need for a newer version of OPatch (if you applied the patchset before). This means applying would be easier and the software would be more stable

For more information see here.

Database:

• This CPU contains 17 new security fixes (including 2 for Oracle Application Express)
• The highest CVSS base score of vulnerabilities is 6.6.
  This is regarded as a high risk.
• Some very critical components are affected:
  • Audit
  • Authentication
  • Core RDBMS
  • Data Pump
  • Export
  • Oracle Net Services
  • Query Optimizer
  • ...
• This CPU includes fixes for Oracle Database 11g too.

Oracle Application Server:

• This CPU contains 3 new security fixes
• All of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploited without authentication!
• The highest CVSS base score of vulnerabilities is 9.3 for clients and 6.6 for servers.
  This is regarded as a very high risk.

Oracle Enterprise Manager:

• This CPU contains 1 new security fix (in the Oracle Agent)
• The CVSS base score of vulnerability is 6.6.
  This is regarded as a high risk.

I read on Laurents Blog , that the unix versions will be arriving at the earliest in the 3 week of April. This will be very late…

Today in the morning I took the exam and I passed the test.

Some comments to it:

• For me the exam was difficult, I found other update exams easier
• The questions were sometimes very deep
• There are nearly no questions about the GUI (Oracle Enterprise Manager)
• I think, I have become quite used to Oracle 11g (a lot of testing, writing course materials, teaching 6 courses, quite reliable preparation). But I found nearly no questions with an immediate and clear answer...
• There were more questions as before (now 85, during the New Features 10g exams there were only 60) -> see here
• To pass, 61% correct answers are enough (10g = 73%)
• It is recommended to have a really correct look at the exam topics – and to learn just below them, including any PL / SQL calls and default parameters!

Also - viel Erfolg bei der Prüfung !

Obwohl in der Liste der Bugfixes kein Database Vault Bug erscheint, wurden zwei meiner kritischsten Bugs behoben
Einer ist noch offen - aber dieser ist wesentlich schwieriger (und nur als SYS) auszunutzen.

Da die OS Authentication für SYSDBAs wieder gesperrt ist, kann ich nun den Einsatz von Database Vault mit dem Patchset 10.2.0.4 empfehlen.

Trotzdem braucht es viel Datenbank- und Security-Wissen, um eine sichere Installation zu gewährleisten...

Patch sets provide bug fixes only; they do not include new functionality and they do not require certification on the target system.

Wie in diesem Blogeintrag zu sehen ist, gibt es weitere neue Funktionen, worüber sich die "Performance Junkies" freuen werden