CVE-2017-10051 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected is 8.5.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with access to the physical communication segment attached to the hardware where the Oracle Outside In Technology executes to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.7 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10051 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process various document formats. This specific flaw affects version 8.5.3.0 of the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which serves as a core processing engine for document conversion and manipulation tasks. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal privileges and physical access to the network segment where the Oracle Outside In Technology operates can successfully compromise the system. This represents a significant security concern given that the attack vector requires only local network access rather than complex remote exploitation techniques.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a denial of service condition that can cause complete system unavailability through either hanging or repeated crashes of the Oracle Outside In Technology processes. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the software processes incoming data, and the CVSS score of 5.7 reflects the availability impact with a base score of 5.7 indicating a moderate to high severity threat. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-119, which describes weaknesses in memory handling and buffer management that can lead to system instability. The attack requires an adversary to have access to the physical communication segment, suggesting that network segmentation and access controls become critical defensive measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can completely incapacitate the document processing capabilities that depend on Oracle Outside In Technology. Organizations utilizing this middleware for document management, conversion, or processing workflows face significant business disruption risks when this vulnerability is exploited. The potential for complete system crashes means that critical business processes relying on document conversion services could experience extended downtime, potentially affecting customer service, data processing operations, and overall system availability. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where the software passes network-received data directly to the Outside In Technology code, making network-based attacks more feasible and impactful.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability effectively. Network segmentation and access controls become paramount to prevent unauthorized physical access to the communication segments where Oracle Outside In Technology operates. The CVSS vector analysis indicates that if data is not received over a network but processed locally, the actual risk may be reduced, suggesting that organizations should review their data handling processes and network architecture. Mitigation strategies should include regular patch management programs, network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns, and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their overall security posture and assess how similar flaws might exist in other components of their middleware infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and understanding the complete attack surface of enterprise software platforms.