CVE-2011-3529 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS component in Oracle PeopleSoft Products 9.0 and 9.1 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality via unknown vectors related to Talent Acquisition Manager.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3529 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS component affecting versions 9.0 and 9.1. This issue falls under the category of information disclosure vulnerabilities that specifically impacts the Talent Acquisition Manager module within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical mechanisms remain undisclosed, though the impact clearly demonstrates a compromise of data confidentiality for authenticated users. The affected PeopleSoft Products represent a critical business application suite widely deployed in enterprise environments for human resources management, making this vulnerability particularly concerning given the sensitive nature of HR data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in its ability to allow remote authenticated users to compromise confidentiality through unspecified vectors related to Talent Acquisition Manager functionality. This suggests that an attacker who has already gained legitimate authentication credentials within the system can exploit this weakness to access sensitive information that should remain protected. The Talent Acquisition Manager module typically handles critical recruitment data including candidate information, application details, and personnel records which are inherently sensitive and subject to strict data protection requirements. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability represents a privilege escalation or lateral movement vector that could be exploited to access data beyond what the authenticated user should legitimately possess.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-3529 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a potential breach of employee privacy and organizational security. Human resources data contains highly sensitive personal information including social security numbers, financial records, medical information, and employment history that could be exploited for identity theft, financial fraud, or corporate espionage. Organizations utilizing PeopleSoft HRMS systems face potential regulatory compliance violations under various data protection frameworks including gdpr, hipaa, and soc 2, depending on their geographic location and industry sector. The remote nature of the attack vector means that compromised credentials could be exploited from anywhere in the world, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed workforce environments or those lacking robust network monitoring capabilities.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and potentially CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories, representing weaknesses in data protection mechanisms and access controls within enterprise applications. The ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under privilege escalation and credential access techniques, as it allows authenticated users to access data they should not normally be able to access. Organizations should implement comprehensive network segmentation to isolate critical HR applications, deploy robust monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns, and ensure timely patch management for all PeopleSoft components. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls, mandatory access controls, and regular security assessments would significantly reduce the risk exposure associated with this vulnerability. The remediation strategy should include immediate patch deployment from Oracle, followed by comprehensive security audits of the affected systems to identify any potential compromise or unauthorized access that may have already occurred.