CVE-2016-5511 in WebCenter Sites
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle WebCenter Sites component in Oracle Fusion Middleware 12.2.1.0.0, 12.2.1.1.0, and 12.2.1.2.0 allows remote attackers to affect integrity via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5511 resides within Oracle WebCenter Sites, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that provides web content management and digital asset management capabilities. This particular flaw manifests as an unspecified weakness in the software's integrity protection mechanisms, allowing remote attackers to potentially compromise the system's data integrity without direct physical access to the target environment. The affected versions include 12.2.1.0.0, 12.2.1.1.0, and 12.2.1.2.0, indicating this vulnerability spans multiple releases of the WebCenter Sites platform. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that attackers could exploit various entry points to manipulate data integrity, making the threat assessment particularly challenging for security teams.
The technical implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple data corruption, as integrity breaches can enable attackers to modify content, alter user permissions, or manipulate system configurations without detection. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of integrity violations as classified by CWE-284, which deals with improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized modifications to system resources. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the network or system, enabling them to target vulnerable installations from external locations. This characteristic significantly increases the attack surface and potential impact of the vulnerability, as it can be exploited by threat actors from anywhere on the internet.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-5511 within enterprise environments can be substantial, particularly for organizations relying on Oracle WebCenter Sites for critical content management and digital asset handling. Organizations may face unauthorized modifications to web content, which could result in reputational damage, compliance violations, or disruption of business operations. The vulnerability's ability to affect integrity without requiring authentication or specific user interaction means that attacks could be automated and persistent, potentially allowing attackers to establish long-term presence within target networks. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through remote services and T1499 for data manipulation, highlighting the multi-stage nature of potential exploitation.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle WebCenter Sites installations through official Oracle security updates. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to WebCenter Sites servers and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activities related to content modification attempts. Additionally, implementing strict access controls and regular integrity checks can help detect unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability's classification under integrity-related weaknesses emphasizes the importance of maintaining proper audit trails and implementing robust backup procedures to ensure rapid recovery from potential compromise scenarios. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual content modification patterns to provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.