CVE-2013-2401 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component in Oracle PeopleSoft Products 8.51, 8.52, and 8.53 allows remote authenticated users to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Portal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2401 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products, affecting versions 8.51, 8.52, and 8.53. This issue represents a significant security concern as it permits remote authenticated users to compromise data integrity through unspecified vectors connected to the Portal functionality. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical mechanisms remain undisclosed, which is common in early vulnerability reports where full technical details are still being analyzed by vendors and security researchers.
The technical flaw manifests within the Portal component of PeopleTools, which serves as a central hub for user interfaces and application integration within PeopleSoft environments. When users authenticate to the system, they establish sessions that may be exploited to manipulate data integrity through various means. The Portal component typically handles user access control, navigation, and content delivery, making it a critical attack surface for integrity-related compromises. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires authentication, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials before exploiting the flaw, which complicates the attack vector but does not eliminate the risk.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations relying on PeopleSoft for business-critical applications. Data integrity is fundamental to enterprise resource planning systems, and any compromise could lead to financial losses, regulatory violations, and operational disruptions. The Portal functionality often serves as the primary interface for business users, making it a logical target for attackers seeking to manipulate transactional data, modify user permissions, or corrupt business-critical information. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from outside the organization's network perimeter, potentially leading to widespread data integrity compromises across multiple business processes.
The vulnerability's impact aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and may relate to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and data manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, reviewing Portal access controls, and conducting thorough security assessments of their PeopleSoft implementations. Network segmentation, enhanced monitoring of Portal activities, and regular security audits of user access permissions are essential defensive measures. The vulnerability's specification as affecting multiple versions underscores the importance of comprehensive patch management strategies and regular security updates to protect against similar issues in other components of the PeopleSoft ecosystem.