CVE-2017-3479 in FLEXCUBE Private Banking
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking component of Oracle Financial Services Applications (subcomponent: Miscellaneous). Supported versions that are affected are 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.2.0.1 and 12.0.1. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.4 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3479 resides within Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking, a critical component of Oracle Financial Services Applications that serves as a comprehensive banking solution for private banking operations. This vulnerability specifically affects the Miscellaneous subcomponent and impacts versions 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.2.0.1, and 12.0.1 of the software. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that demonstrates how financial institutions can be exposed to targeted attacks through seemingly routine network communications. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal technical expertise can leverage this weakness, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on this financial software platform for their core banking operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking application, which allows malicious actors to manipulate HTTP requests and gain unauthorized access to sensitive banking data. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.0 score of 5.4 reflects the balance between the ease of exploitation and the potential impact on system integrity and availability. Attackers with low privilege levels and network access via HTTP can exploit this vulnerability to perform unauthorized data modifications, including update, insert, and delete operations against specific data sets within the FLEXCUBE system. This capability directly aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness that leads to various injection attacks and data integrity compromises. The attack vector requires network access and utilizes HTTP protocols, making it particularly concerning given the widespread use of HTTP-based communications in financial applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to include partial denial of service conditions that can disrupt critical banking operations. When successful, attacks can compromise the integrity of financial data while simultaneously creating partial system unavailability, which affects the reliability of banking services. This dual impact on both data integrity and system availability creates cascading effects that can damage customer trust and regulatory compliance. Organizations utilizing affected versions of Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking face potential financial losses from unauthorized transactions, data breaches, and service disruptions that can last for extended periods. The vulnerability's ability to affect partial denial of service means that even successful attacks may not completely shut down systems but can render portions of the banking platform unreliable, creating operational challenges for financial institutions that depend on continuous service availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3479 should focus on immediate patch management and network security hardening measures. Organizations must prioritize updating to patched versions of Oracle FLEXCUBE Private Banking that address the input validation weaknesses identified in this vulnerability. The implementation of web application firewalls and network segmentation can help reduce the attack surface while waiting for official patches to be deployed. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous HTTP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on requests that attempt data modification operations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other Oracle Financial Services Applications components. Additionally, access controls should be strictly enforced to limit the number of users with privileges that could enable exploitation, aligning with the principle of least privilege as recommended in cybersecurity frameworks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of continuous security monitoring and incident response capabilities, as the partial denial of service component requires rapid detection and response to prevent extended operational disruptions.