CVE-2016-3535 in CRM Technical Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation component in Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1.3 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via vectors related to Remote Launch. NOTE: the previous information is from the July 2016 CPU. Oracle has not commented on third-party claims that this issue is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability, which allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3535 resides within the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation component of Oracle E-Business Suite version 12.1.3, representing a significant security weakness that could be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system integrity and confidentiality. This issue falls under the broader category of web application vulnerabilities, specifically those affecting enterprise business suite implementations that handle critical customer relationship management functions. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified in the initial description suggests that Oracle's initial disclosure did not provide detailed technical specifics about the exact nature of the flaw, leaving security practitioners to investigate and assess potential attack vectors through indirect means.
The technical flaw manifests through Remote Launch functionality within the Oracle E-Business Suite, which allows unauthorized users to execute malicious code or manipulate system behavior through web-based interfaces. Based on third-party analysis and industry assessments, this vulnerability has been identified as potentially constituting a cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's interface. This XSS classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. The Remote Launch component likely handles external communication protocols or web service integrations that do not properly validate or sanitize user input before processing or displaying it within the application's user interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or system compromise, as it could enable attackers to manipulate customer data, alter business processes, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the CRM environment. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially redirect users to malicious websites, steal session cookies, or execute unauthorized transactions through the compromised CRM system. The distributed nature of Oracle E-Business Suite implementations means that multiple users and business units could be affected simultaneously, creating widespread potential for data integrity compromise and confidentiality breaches. This vulnerability particularly impacts organizations relying on the CRM component for customer data management, sales tracking, and business intelligence functions, making it a critical concern for enterprise security teams managing these systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-3535 should encompass both immediate patching efforts and defensive configuration measures to reduce attack surface exposure. Organizations must prioritize applying Oracle's official security patches and updates released in the July 2016 Critical Patch Update, which would address the underlying Remote Launch functionality vulnerabilities. Network-level defenses including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns related to XSS attack vectors and malformed requests targeting the CRM components. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application layer can help prevent exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential additional vulnerabilities within the Oracle E-Business Suite environment. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the 'Web Application Attack' domain, specifically relating to 'Cross-Site Scripting' techniques that leverage web interface flaws to compromise application security and user sessions.