CVE-2017-10017 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Workcenter). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54 and 8.55. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2021
The CVE-2017-10017 vulnerability represents a significant security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Workcenter subcomponent. This vulnerability exists in versions 8.54 and 8.55 of the PeopleSoft platform, making it particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of these enterprise applications. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it without requiring specialized skills or extensive preparation, which significantly increases the risk to organizations utilizing these systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Workcenter functionality, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain network-level access through HTTP protocols. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates a critical weakness in the authentication and authorization frameworks implemented within PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate component, as successful exploitation can affect additional products within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem, creating cascading security implications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to data integrity and confidentiality within enterprise environments. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can achieve unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data, potentially leading to data corruption or manipulation. Additionally, the vulnerability enables unauthorized read access to specific subsets of accessible data, creating exposure for sensitive business information. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate to high severity of this vulnerability, particularly given the confidentiality and integrity impacts it can cause. The vector notation (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates network accessibility with low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, and the necessity for user interaction, while the scope change (S:C) demonstrates how this vulnerability can affect additional products beyond the primary target.
The vulnerability's exploitation requires human interaction from individuals other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or targeted phishing attacks might be necessary to initiate the exploitation process. This requirement for user involvement reduces the automated attack potential but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers can still leverage human factors to compromise systems. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive security awareness training to mitigate the risk of social engineering attacks that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft applications, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and implementation of additional authentication controls for the Workcenter functionality. Regular security updates and patches should be prioritized, along with comprehensive monitoring of access logs for suspicious activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) and represents a significant concern for organizations following ATT&CK framework patterns related to credential access and privilege escalation. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust authentication mechanisms within enterprise applications and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of business-critical software platforms.
The broader implications of CVE-2017-10017 extend to enterprise security posture management, particularly in environments where PeopleSoft systems handle sensitive business data. Organizations should conduct thorough risk assessments to determine the full scope of potential impact and implement layered security controls to protect against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to identify and remediate authentication weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for maintaining current security practices and the importance of proactive vulnerability management within enterprise environments.