CVE-2017-10335 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PT PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PT PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Elastic Search). Supported versions that are affected are 8.55 and 8.56. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PT PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all PeopleSoft Enterprise PT PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.5 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10335 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PT PeopleTools component, specifically within the Elastic Search subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft products. This security flaw affects versions 8.55 and 8.56, representing a significant risk to organizations utilizing these enterprise applications. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and database access control, creating a pathway for unauthorized entities to gain access to sensitive corporate data through network-based attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Elastic Search functionality integrated into PeopleTools. Attackers can exploit this weakness through standard HTTP network connections without requiring any prior credentials or privileged access. The flaw essentially allows for unauthenticated access to the underlying data repositories that PeopleTools manages, bypassing traditional security controls that would normally require proper authentication before granting access to enterprise data. This represents a critical design oversight in the security architecture of the affected PeopleSoft versions, where the Elastic Search component fails to properly validate incoming requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling complete compromise of all accessible PeopleSoft data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can access critical business information, employee records, financial data, and other sensitive corporate assets stored within the PeopleSoft environment. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.5 indicates a high severity threat with significant confidentiality impact, as demonstrated by the vector assessment showing network accessibility, low attack complexity, and no required privileges. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable means that even relatively unsophisticated attackers can leverage this weakness without specialized tools or extensive technical knowledge.
Organizations affected by CVE-2017-10335 should immediately implement network-level mitigations including firewall restrictions to limit access to the Elastic Search endpoints, particularly those exposed to external networks. The recommended approach involves restricting HTTP access to these components to trusted internal networks only, while implementing additional authentication layers where possible. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary Elastic Search functionality if not required for business operations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in security design. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through network service exploitation and credential compromise, potentially enabling further lateral movement within affected networks. Organizations should also conduct thorough audits of their PeopleSoft installations to identify and remediate similar authentication weaknesses across other components of the platform.