CVE-2017-10306 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Security). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.6 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10306 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products, specifically affecting the Security subcomponent in version 9.2. This represents a significant security weakness that demonstrates how enterprise applications can contain critical flaws even in their core security mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage relatively straightforward techniques to compromise the system, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such applications handle sensitive corporate and employee data.
This vulnerability operates through HTTP network access and requires a low privileged attacker to successfully exploit it, meaning that even users with minimal system permissions could potentially leverage this flaw. The attack vector specifically involves HTTP communication, which suggests that the vulnerability could be triggered through web-based interfaces that PeopleSoft applications typically utilize for user interaction and data processing. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker indicates that social engineering or user manipulation may be necessary to complete the exploit, though the underlying technical flaw remains accessible to unauthorized parties.
The impact of successful exploitation encompasses unauthorized modification capabilities including update, insert, and delete operations on specific PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM accessible data, alongside unauthorized read access to a subset of data that the system normally protects. This dual nature of impact - both confidentiality and integrity - aligns with the CVSS 3.0 base score of 4.6, which reflects the vulnerability's ability to compromise sensitive information while also allowing for data manipulation. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates network accessibility, low attack complexity, low privilege requirements, and the necessity for user interaction, while showing that the scope of impact is not elevated beyond the affected component.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access controls and input validation in enterprise applications. The flaw likely involves inadequate authentication or authorization checks within the security framework, allowing attackers to bypass normal access restrictions through web-based interfaces. This situation aligns with common CWE classifications related to insufficient authorization and weak access control mechanisms, where the security controls fail to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive operations. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access domains, where adversaries exploit application-level vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to protected resources.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches and updates as released to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring of HTTP traffic can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while implementing additional access controls and user behavior monitoring can provide early warning signs of unauthorized activities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should focus on identifying similar weaknesses in the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security practices and ensuring that all enterprise applications receive timely security updates to protect against known exploits that could compromise sensitive human capital management data.