CVE-2018-2584 in WebCenter Sites
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebCenter Sites component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Advanced UI). The supported version that is affected is 11.1.1.8.0. Easily exploitable 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 4.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2584 resides within Oracle WebCenter Sites, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that provides content management and web publishing capabilities. This specific flaw is located in the Advanced UI subcomponent and affects version 11.1.1.8.0 of the software. The vulnerability represents a significant security concern as it operates within a widely deployed enterprise content management platform that serves as a critical component for many organizations' digital publishing infrastructure. The affected system is particularly concerning given that WebCenter Sites is commonly used for managing sensitive corporate content, customer-facing websites, and business-critical digital assets.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Advanced UI functionality, which allows an attacker with low privileges and network access through HTTP to gain unauthorized read access to specific data within the Oracle WebCenter Sites environment. This represents a privilege escalation issue where the attacker's ability to exploit the vulnerability does not require elevated privileges initially, yet the outcome enables access to restricted data. The CVSS score of 4.3 indicates a moderate severity level, though the impact on confidentiality is rated as low, suggesting that the compromised data may be limited in scope but potentially valuable to an attacker. The vulnerability's accessibility via HTTP network access means that an attacker could potentially exploit this through standard web-based attack vectors without requiring physical access to the network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it could compromise the integrity of an organization's content management system and potentially expose sensitive business information. Organizations using Oracle WebCenter Sites for managing customer data, proprietary content, or business-critical documents face risks of unauthorized information disclosure that could lead to competitive disadvantages, regulatory compliance issues, or reputational damage. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and network access, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with inadequate network segmentation or insufficient monitoring of web application traffic. The attack vector through HTTP also means that the vulnerability could be exploited from external networks, potentially allowing attackers to probe for vulnerable systems without requiring direct network access to the internal infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patch application from Oracle, which would address the underlying access control flaw in the Advanced UI component. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to WebCenter Sites systems, particularly ensuring that administrative interfaces are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic to the affected component, conducting regular security assessments of the WebCenter Sites environment, and establishing robust monitoring of access logs for unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues, and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack chains that align with ATT&CK techniques for privilege escalation and credential access. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege controls to minimize the impact should any exploitation occur, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access, they cannot read data beyond their authorized scope.