CVE-2016-3442 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component in Oracle PeopleSoft Products 8.53, 8.54, and 8.55 allows remote authenticated users to affect confidentiality and integrity via vectors related to Portal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3442 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft products, specifically affecting versions 8.53, 8.54, and 8.55. This issue represents a security flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to compromise both the confidentiality and integrity of data within the system. The vulnerability manifests through vectors associated with the Portal functionality, which serves as a critical interface for user interactions and content management within the PeopleSoft environment. The affected component operates within the broader context of enterprise resource planning systems where data integrity and confidentiality are paramount for business operations and regulatory compliance.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the Portal implementation that processes user requests and handles data transactions. Attackers who have authenticated access to the system can exploit this weakness to manipulate data flows and potentially extract sensitive information. The flaw likely involves improper input sanitization or inadequate access controls that allow authenticated users to perform unauthorized operations beyond their intended privileges. This vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation and data manipulation attacks, where legitimate users can leverage their credentials to compromise system integrity. The issue demonstrates a classic security misconfiguration problem where the system fails to properly enforce data access policies and validation checks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Oracle PeopleSoft platforms, particularly those handling sensitive financial, human resources, or customer data. The potential for data breaches and integrity violations could result in substantial financial losses, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage. Organizations may experience unauthorized modifications to critical business data, including payroll records, financial transactions, or personnel information. The remote nature of the attack vector means that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the corporate network, potentially leveraging compromised user credentials or session tokens to gain unauthorized access. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where internal security controls may be bypassed, as the vulnerability exists within the core application logic rather than network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-3442 should prioritize immediate application of Oracle's security patches and updates specifically designed to address this vulnerability. Organizations must implement robust access control measures including role-based access controls and regular privilege reviews to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem and related applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and may relate to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and data manipulation. Regular security awareness training for users and administrators can help prevent credential compromise scenarios that could enable exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing potential data integrity violations and implement continuous monitoring to detect unauthorized modifications to critical business data.