CVE-2017-3542 in WebCenter Sites
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebCenter Sites component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Server). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1.8.0, 12.2.1.0.0, 12.2.1.1.0 and 12.2.1.2.0. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle WebCenter Sites. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle WebCenter Sites accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle WebCenter Sites accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle WebCenter Sites. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.6 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L).
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3542 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle WebCenter Sites, an enterprise content management platform that forms part of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This vulnerability specifically affects the Server subcomponent of WebCenter Sites and impacts multiple version lines including 11.1.1.8.0, 12.2.1.0.0, 12.2.1.1.0, and 12.2.1.2.0. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can readily craft malicious payloads to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where the system is accessible over networks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user inputs can lead to severe security consequences. Attackers can leverage this weakness by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the affected WebCenter Sites server, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability's impact spans all three core security principles defined by the CIA triad, with confidentiality being severely compromised as attackers can access critical data, integrity being affected through unauthorized modification capabilities, and availability being threatened through partial denial of service conditions that can disrupt normal operations.
From an operational standpoint, the implications of this vulnerability are substantial for organizations relying on Oracle WebCenter Sites for content management and digital asset storage. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.6 reflects the high severity of the threat, indicating that successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of accessible data, including sensitive documents, media assets, and potentially personal information. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform unauthorized updates, insertions, and deletions of data, which can result in data corruption, information leakage, and operational disruption. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability means that attackers can disrupt access to critical content management services, potentially affecting business operations and user productivity. The attack vector requiring only network access via HTTP makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or specialized credentials.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches and updates, configuring network firewalls to restrict access to the WebCenter Sites server, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1071.004, covering application layer protocol usage. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous HTTP traffic patterns and unauthorized access attempts to the WebCenter Sites components. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their Oracle Fusion Middleware environment and implement proper access controls to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation attempts.