CVE-2017-3603 in WebCenter Sites
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebCenter Sites component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Advanced UI). 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. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle WebCenter Sites. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle WebCenter Sites accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 3.1 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3603 resides within Oracle WebCenter Sites, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that provides enterprise web content management capabilities. This specific flaw affects the Advanced UI subcomponent and impacts multiple supported versions including 11.1.1.8.0, 12.2.1.0.0, 12.2.1.1.0, and 12.2.1.2.0. The vulnerability classification as a difficult to exploit issue indicates that while the attack vector is accessible over HTTP network connections, the complexity required to successfully compromise the system remains moderately high. The CVSS score of 3.1 reflects a low to moderate severity impact primarily focused on confidentiality rather than integrity or availability, suggesting that an attacker with minimal privileges could potentially access sensitive data through network-based attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Advanced UI functionality of Oracle WebCenter Sites, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access. This weakness specifically enables low-privileged attackers to perform unauthorized read operations against a subset of accessible data within the WebCenter Sites environment. The vulnerability's classification under CWE categories related to insufficient access control and weak access control mechanisms aligns with the observed behavior of allowing unauthorized data retrieval through network-based HTTP requests. The attack requires network access via HTTP protocol, indicating that the vulnerability could be exploited from external network locations without requiring physical access to the system or elevated privileges within the organization's infrastructure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Oracle WebCenter Sites for content management and web publishing operations. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive content, user data, or business-critical information stored within the WebCenter Sites repository. The subset access limitation suggests that while attackers cannot access all data within the system, they could still potentially obtain valuable information that could be used for competitive advantage, regulatory compliance violations, or further attack planning. The confidentiality impact rating indicates that the primary concern is data exposure rather than system disruption or data modification, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations handling sensitive or proprietary information.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's official security patches and updates released for this vulnerability, as well as implementing network-based controls such as firewall rules and access control lists to restrict HTTP access to the affected WebCenter Sites instances. The implementation of network segmentation and principle of least privilege access controls can help reduce the attack surface and limit potential damage from exploitation attempts. Additionally, monitoring network traffic for unusual HTTP requests and implementing intrusion detection systems can provide early warning capabilities. The vulnerability's CVSS vector indicates that while it requires a low privilege attacker with network access, the potential for data exfiltration makes it a critical concern for organizations maintaining sensitive content within Oracle WebCenter Sites environments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses throughout the Oracle Fusion Middleware stack and related components.