CVE-2013-3785 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS component in Oracle PeopleSoft Products 9.1 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality via unknown vectors related to Career s Home.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3785 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products version 9.1, representing a significant security weakness that affects organizations utilizing this enterprise resource planning suite. This unspecified vulnerability specifically targets the Career s Home functionality within the Human Resources Management System, indicating that the flaw exists in how the system handles user interactions and data processing within this particular module. The vulnerability's classification as affecting confidentiality suggests that an attacker could potentially access sensitive employee data or organizational information that should remain protected within the system's security boundaries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from unknown vectors related to Career s Home functionality, which implies that the underlying flaw may involve improper access controls, insecure data handling mechanisms, or flawed authentication processes within the HRMS component. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability would need to be authenticated users with legitimate access to the PeopleSoft system, meaning the threat comes from within the organization rather than external attackers. This authentication requirement places the vulnerability in the category of privilege escalation or lateral movement attacks where malicious insiders or compromised accounts could leverage this weakness to access unauthorized data. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors makes it particularly concerning as security teams cannot immediately determine the exact attack surface or implementation flaw that enables the confidentiality breach.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations relying on PeopleSoft HRMS for managing sensitive employee information including personal details, salary data, performance records, and career progression information. The confidentiality impact means that unauthorized data exposure could lead to significant regulatory compliance violations, particularly under data protection regulations such as gdpr or hipaa, depending on the jurisdiction and type of data involved. Organizations may face legal consequences, financial penalties, and reputational damage if sensitive employee information is compromised through exploitation of this vulnerability. The attack vector requiring authentication also suggests that the vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or through credential compromise techniques, making it a particularly dangerous threat as it could be difficult to detect and trace back to its source within the organization's security monitoring systems.
The vulnerability aligns with common security weaknesses documented in the common weakness enumeration framework, particularly those related to information disclosure and access control failures. It may correspond to CWE-200 for exposure of sensitive information or CWE-284 for improper access control mechanisms, though the exact mapping would depend on the specific implementation flaw. From the mitre att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under privilege escalation or defense evasion techniques where an authenticated user leverages system weaknesses to access unauthorized data. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions that track user activities within HRMS modules, particularly around Career s Home functionality, to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and patch management processes for enterprise applications, as well as the need for proper user access controls and segregation of duties within HR systems to minimize potential impact from such vulnerabilities.
Organizations should immediately implement the available patches from Oracle to address this vulnerability, while also conducting thorough risk assessments to determine the scope of potential impact within their specific implementations. Security teams should review user access permissions and implement additional monitoring controls specifically for HRMS modules to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for enterprise applications and implementing robust security monitoring that can detect both external and internal threats targeting sensitive organizational data. Regular security training for system administrators and HR personnel can also help identify potential exploitation attempts and reduce the risk of successful attacks through social engineering or credential compromise techniques.