CVE-2008-4000 in PeopleSoft Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the PeopleTools component in Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise and JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.48.18 and 8.49.14 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via unknown vectors. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the Oracle October 2008 CPU. Oracle has not commented on reliable researcher claims that this issue allows bypass of the lockout mechanism using brute force guessing of credentials and a response discrepancy information leak when the password is correct.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4000 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise and JD Edwards EnterpriseOne applications at versions 8.48.18 and 8.49.14. This unspecified weakness resides within the PeopleTools component and demonstrates the inherent risks associated with enterprise application security where attackers can potentially compromise both confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical details were not fully disclosed in the initial reporting, though subsequent research has provided more specific insights into its operational characteristics.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through mechanisms that enable attackers to bypass authentication lockout mechanisms through brute force credential guessing attacks. This particular flaw exploits the system's response handling when incorrect credentials are presented versus correct credentials, creating a timing or response discrepancy that can be leveraged by malicious actors to determine password validity without triggering the intended account lockout protections. The information leak occurs through subtle variations in system responses that reveal whether a password attempt was successful, effectively providing attackers with a method to systematically guess valid credentials. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-204, which specifically addresses information leaks through response differences, and represents a significant weakening of authentication security controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-4000 extends beyond simple credential compromise as it undermines fundamental security assumptions within enterprise applications. Attackers can systematically exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive business data, potentially leading to financial loss, regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network boundaries may be porous or where applications are accessible over the internet. This issue directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising both confidentiality through unauthorized data access and integrity through potential data modification or corruption. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003, which covers credential stuffing attacks, and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in enterprise applications.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including strengthening authentication mechanisms, implementing more robust account lockout policies, and deploying additional monitoring controls to detect unusual authentication patterns. The recommended approach involves configuring systems to provide consistent response times regardless of authentication success or failure, implementing rate limiting for authentication attempts, and ensuring that account lockout mechanisms function properly. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their PeopleSoft and JD Edwards installations, review access controls, and consider implementing multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper security testing and the need for applications to maintain consistent behavior in authentication responses to prevent information leakage that could be exploited by attackers.