CVE-2014-0374 in Oracle
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Portal component in Oracle Fusion Middleware 11.1.1.6 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors related to Page Parameters and Events.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0374 resides within the Oracle Portal component of Oracle Fusion Middleware version 11.1.1.6, representing a critical security weakness that enables remote attackers to compromise data integrity. This unspecified flaw operates within the broader context of Oracle's Fusion Middleware suite, which serves as a foundational platform for enterprise application development and deployment. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the handling of page parameters and events, suggesting that the underlying issue stems from inadequate validation or sanitization of user-supplied data within the portal's interactive components. Such a weakness creates a potential attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate page flow and parameter passing mechanisms to alter system behavior or data integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common web application security patterns where insufficient input validation leads to data manipulation opportunities. Page parameters and events typically serve as communication channels between client-side interactions and server-side processing within portal environments. When these components lack proper sanitization or validation checks, attackers can potentially inject malicious data that alters the intended execution flow or modifies data at rest or in transit. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability may be exploitable through multiple pathways, potentially including parameter tampering, event injection, or manipulation of session state variables. This ambiguity in the vulnerability description indicates that the flaw may be more pervasive than initially apparent, affecting various aspects of the portal's parameter handling mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Oracle Fusion Middleware for their portal applications. Data integrity compromises can lead to unauthorized modifications of content, manipulation of user sessions, or disruption of business processes that depend on accurate parameter passing. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible environments. Organizations may experience unauthorized data alterations, content injection attacks, or potential cascading effects where manipulated page parameters propagate through the system, affecting multiple downstream processes or components that depend on the integrity of these parameters. The impact extends beyond immediate data corruption to potentially compromise the overall trustworthiness of the portal application and its associated services.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) categories, indicating that the underlying flaw likely involves inadequate validation of user inputs within the portal's parameter handling mechanisms. This classification suggests that the vulnerability may be exploitable through techniques such as parameter manipulation or event injection that bypass normal validation controls. Security practitioners should consider the ATT&CK framework's techniques related to command and control communications, privilege escalation, and data manipulation when assessing potential exploitation paths. Mitigation strategies should include implementing comprehensive input validation controls, applying the principle of least privilege to portal components, and ensuring regular patch management processes are in place for Oracle Fusion Middleware installations. Organizations should also consider network segmentation, intrusion detection systems, and monitoring of unusual parameter patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for enterprise middleware platforms and implementing robust security controls around interactive portal components that handle user input.