CVE-2010-3591 in Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Document Capture component in Oracle Fusion Middleware 10.1.3.4 and 10.1.3.5 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Internal Operations. NOTE: the previous information was obtained from the January 2011 CPU. Oracle has not commented on claims from the original researcher that remote attackers can overwrite or delete arbitrary files via a full pathname in the second argument to the DownloadSingleMessageToFile method in the EMPOP3Lib ActiveX component (empop3.dll).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3591 resides within Oracle Document Capture component of Oracle Fusion Middleware versions 10.1.3.4 and 10.1.3.5, representing a critical security flaw that exposes organizations to significant risks. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerability within the internal operations framework of the Oracle Fusion Middleware suite, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. The vulnerability's classification as internal operations related suggests that it operates within the backend processes of the middleware, potentially affecting system stability and data security without direct user interaction.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability appears to involve the EMPOP3Lib ActiveX component specifically through the DownloadSingleMessageToFile method in the empop3.dll library. The flaw manifests when a full pathname is provided as the second argument to this method, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate file system operations. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The method's handling of file paths without proper validation or sanitization creates a pathway for attackers to potentially overwrite or delete arbitrary files on the target system, fundamentally undermining the system's integrity and availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3591 extends beyond simple data compromise, as it can result in complete system disruption through file deletion or modification attacks. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to critical business documents, manipulate system files, or cause service interruptions that would severely impact business continuity. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments where Oracle Fusion Middleware components are exposed to external networks. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad as attackers can compromise confidentiality by accessing sensitive documents, integrity by modifying or deleting files, and availability by disrupting system operations through file manipulation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including patching the Oracle Fusion Middleware to the latest supported versions, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable components, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their middleware environments. The vulnerability's potential for arbitrary file operations makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Document Capture components are used to process sensitive business information. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unusual file system activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Based on the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would map to techniques involving file and directory permissions modification and privilege escalation, making it a critical concern for organizations implementing security controls aligned with enterprise security frameworks. The lack of official comment from Oracle on the original researcher's claims suggests that organizations should treat this vulnerability as potentially exploitable until confirmed otherwise through proper security validation procedures.