CVE-2018-2601 in Internet Directory
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Internet Directory component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Oracle Directory Services Manager). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1.7.0, 11.1.1.9.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Internet Directory. While the vulnerability is in Oracle Internet Directory, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Internet Directory. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2601 resides within Oracle Internet Directory component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, specifically within the Oracle Directory Services Manager subcomponent. This flaw affects three major version releases including 11.1.1.7.0, 11.1.1.9.0, and 12.2.1.3.0, representing a significant attack surface across multiple Oracle Fusion Middleware deployments. The vulnerability classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while the attack requires specific conditions, the potential impact makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.0 reflects high severity across all impact vectors including confidentiality, integrity, and availability, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of potential damage that could be inflicted upon successful exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Oracle Internet Directory component, which allows an attacker with high privileges and network access via HTTP to compromise the system. This flaw represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that leverages the HTTP protocol as its attack vector, requiring an attacker to already possess elevated privileges within the network environment. The vulnerability's classification under CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) would typically align with weaknesses related to insufficient input validation or improper access control mechanisms. The attack scenario requires an adversary to have already gained some level of access to the network and possess elevated privileges, making this a post-compromise vulnerability that could be exploited by sophisticated attackers who have already established a foothold within the target environment.
The operational impact of successful exploitation of CVE-2018-2601 extends beyond the immediate compromise of Oracle Internet Directory itself, as indicated by the CVSS vector's scope change component S:C. This suggests that successful attacks can result in significant consequences that extend to additional Oracle products within the Fusion Middleware ecosystem. The compromise of Oracle Internet Directory represents a critical point of failure since this component typically serves as a centralized directory service for authentication and authorization within enterprise environments. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that attackers could potentially gain access to sensitive user credentials, modify directory entries, or disrupt directory services that multiple applications depend upon. This vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent access within the enterprise network, as directory services often serve as foundational infrastructure for authentication across multiple systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2601 should focus on implementing the official Oracle patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Oracle Internet Directory services to only necessary network segments. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the directory services, and additional monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual access patterns or authentication attempts. Security controls should include implementing network firewalls to restrict HTTP access to Oracle Internet Directory services and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in the directory services infrastructure. The attack surface reduction should also include disabling unnecessary services and ensuring that all Oracle Fusion Middleware components are running on supported and patched versions to prevent exploitation of related vulnerabilities that could compound the impact of this specific flaw.