CVE-2017-10015 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Application Designer). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54 and 8.55. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools executes to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.7 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2021
The CVE-2017-10015 vulnerability resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically in the Application Designer subcomponent, affecting versions 8.54 and 8.55. This represents a significant security weakness that operates at the infrastructure level where PeopleSoft applications execute, creating a pathway for attackers to compromise the entire PeopleTools environment. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions and circumstances to be successfully leveraged, the potential impact once achieved is severe and can lead to complete data compromise. The CVSS 3.0 score of 4.7 reflects the moderate severity, with the primary concern being confidentiality impact as attackers could gain unauthorized access to critical business data.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate access controls within the Application Designer functionality, allowing an attacker with legitimate logon credentials to escalate privileges and access data that should otherwise be restricted. This vulnerability operates under the principle of privilege escalation where a low-privileged user can exploit weaknesses in the authorization mechanisms to gain broader access rights. The attack vector requires local access to the infrastructure hosting PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, meaning the attacker must already have some level of system access or be positioned within the network environment where the application executes. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and potentially CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions) as the flaw manifests through inadequate permission controls within the application design environment.
From an operational standpoint, the impact of successful exploitation can be devastating for organizations relying on PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools for critical business processes. The vulnerability enables attackers to access all PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data, potentially compromising sensitive financial information, employee records, customer data, and other confidential business assets. The confidentiality impact is particularly severe because the vulnerability allows for complete access to data rather than just partial disclosure, meaning attackers can extract entire datasets without restriction. This creates significant business disruption and regulatory compliance issues, especially for organizations handling personally identifiable information or financial data under frameworks like SOX or GDPR.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting local access to PeopleSoft infrastructure, implementing strict access controls for logon credentials, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced more rigorously, ensuring that users only have access to the specific functions necessary for their roles. Network segmentation can help limit the attack surface by isolating PeopleSoft environments from general network access. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the PeopleSoft ecosystem. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Local Privilege Escalation' and 'Persistence' tactics where attackers establish long-term access to systems. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting and monitoring for suspicious activities in the Application Designer environment, as this represents a common attack vector for insider threats and compromised accounts.