CVE-2017-10406 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: PIA Core Technology). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54, 8.55 and 8.56. 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).
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10406 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the PIA Core Technology subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft Products. This security flaw affects versions 8.54, 8.55, and 8.56, making it a widespread issue across multiple supported releases. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it without requiring specialized tools or extensive technical expertise, posing a significant risk to organizations utilizing these PeopleSoft versions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the system through HTTP network access, eliminating the need for valid credentials or prior system access. This makes the attack vector particularly dangerous as it can be executed remotely without requiring physical presence or legitimate user authentication. The vulnerability operates through a specific flaw in the PIA Core Technology that governs the PeopleSoft Internet Architecture, which serves as the foundation for web-based interactions within the PeopleSoft environment.
From an operational impact perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to perform unauthorized data manipulation operations including updates, inserts, and deletes on sensitive PeopleSoft data. Additionally, attackers can gain unauthorized read access to a subset of accessible data, potentially exposing confidential business information, financial records, or personal data stored within the PeopleSoft system. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of this vulnerability, with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as low, though the potential for significant damage to business operations remains substantial. The vector notation (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates network accessibility, low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, and requires human interaction from a person other than the attacker, suggesting the vulnerability may be triggered through user actions or specific system interactions.
The vulnerability's potential to impact additional products beyond PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools indicates a cascading effect that could extend security breaches across interconnected systems and applications. This interconnectedness represents a critical concern for enterprise environments where PeopleSoft systems often integrate with other business applications, databases, and enterprise resource planning systems. Organizations utilizing these affected versions must understand that a compromise of the PeopleSoft PeopleTools component could potentially enable attackers to access broader enterprise data repositories and systems that rely on PeopleSoft infrastructure. The requirement for human interaction suggests that social engineering or targeted user engagement may be necessary to successfully exploit this vulnerability, but once triggered, the impact can be substantial.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly focusing on the privilege escalation and credential access categories. The vulnerability's characteristics align with techniques that leverage application-level flaws to gain unauthorized system access, potentially enabling attackers to move laterally within enterprise networks. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect anomalous network traffic patterns originating from HTTP requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) would likely fall within categories related to insufficient input validation or improper access control mechanisms, though specific CWE identification requires detailed technical analysis of the underlying flaw. Effective mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected versions, network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft systems, and enhanced monitoring of HTTP traffic for suspicious patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.