CVE-2017-3601 in API Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle API Gateway component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Oracle API Gateway). The supported version that is affected is 11.1.2.4.0. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle API Gateway. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle API Gateway accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle API Gateway accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3601 resides within Oracle API Gateway, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that serves as an API management platform for securing and controlling access to enterprise APIs. This specific flaw affects version 11.1.2.4.0 of the Oracle API Gateway, which represents a widely deployed enterprise solution for managing API traffic and enforcing security policies. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it with minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems handle sensitive enterprise data and critical business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Oracle API Gateway's HTTP handling capabilities. Attackers with network access can exploit this weakness without requiring any prior authentication credentials, creating a significant security breach that allows unauthorized access to the underlying API management platform. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.1 reflects the high severity of this flaw, particularly given the confidentiality and integrity impacts it can inflict. The vulnerability's attack vector is classified as network-based (AV:N) with low access complexity (AC:L), meaning that an attacker can execute the exploit from a remote location without requiring physical access or specialized tools. However, the vulnerability does require human interaction from a legitimate user, suggesting that the attack may involve social engineering elements or that the exploit targets user-facing components that require user engagement for successful compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3601 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can result in complete modification or deletion of critical data within the Oracle API Gateway environment. This vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized access to all data accessible through the API gateway, potentially exposing sensitive enterprise information, user credentials, and business-critical API endpoints. The confidentiality impact is rated as high (C:H) because attackers can access sensitive data that should remain protected within the enterprise network. The integrity impact is equally severe (I:H) as the vulnerability allows for unauthorized modifications to critical data and potentially the underlying configuration of the API gateway itself. The availability impact is rated as low (A:N) suggesting that while the primary concern is data compromise, the system's operational availability may not be directly affected, though the overall security posture of the API gateway infrastructure would be severely compromised.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through the application of Oracle's security patches and updates specifically designed to address this weakness in the API gateway component. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing network segmentation to limit access to the Oracle API Gateway from untrusted networks, deploying additional authentication layers, and conducting comprehensive security assessments to identify potential exploitation attempts. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to move laterally within the network and gain broader access to enterprise resources. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on HTTP requests targeting the API gateway's administrative interfaces. The vulnerability's requirement for human interaction suggests that security awareness training should be enhanced to help users recognize potential social engineering attempts that could lead to successful exploitation of this flaw.