CVE-2017-3548 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Integration Broker). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54 and 8.55. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.5 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The CVE-2017-3548 vulnerability resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically in the Integration Broker subcomponent, affecting versions 8.54 and 8.55. This represents a significant security weakness that operates at the application layer, exploiting a fundamental flaw in how the system handles HTTP requests without proper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage common network-based attack vectors to compromise the system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on PeopleSoft platforms for critical business operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication checks within the Integration Broker component, which serves as a crucial middleware for facilitating communication between PeopleSoft applications and external systems. When processing HTTP requests, the system fails to properly verify the legitimacy of incoming connections, allowing unauthorized actors to access sensitive data through direct network access. This flaw manifests as a partial denial of service condition where attackers can disrupt specific system functionalities while simultaneously gaining unauthorized read access to restricted data sets within the PeopleTools environment.
From an operational impact perspective, the vulnerability creates a dual threat landscape that compromises both data confidentiality and system availability. The confidentiality impact score of 6.5 indicates that attackers can access a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools data without authentication, potentially exposing sensitive business information, financial records, or employee data. The availability impact component allows for partial denial of service attacks that can disrupt business processes, particularly affecting integration workflows and data exchange operations that rely on the compromised Integration Broker functionality. This dual nature makes the vulnerability particularly damaging for enterprise environments where PeopleSoft systems handle critical business processes and data integration.
Organizations affected by CVE-2017-3548 should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to PeopleSoft components, deployment of web application firewalls to filter malicious HTTP requests, and implementation of robust monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploiting vulnerabilities in software applications. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's application layer attack patterns, where adversaries target application-specific weaknesses to gain unauthorized access and execute malicious activities within enterprise environments. Organizations should prioritize patch management and consider implementing zero-trust network architectures to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in their PeopleSoft deployments.