CVE-2018-2604 in Hospitality Guest Access
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality Guest Access component of Oracle Hospitality Applications (subcomponent: Base). The supported version that is affected is 4.2.1. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Hospitality Guest Access. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Hospitality Guest Access accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.5 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2604 resides within Oracle Hospitality Guest Access component, specifically in the Base subcomponent of Oracle Hospitality Applications. This flaw affects version 4.2.1 and represents a critical security weakness that exposes organizations to significant risk. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the authentication mechanisms that should normally protect sensitive hospitality data systems. The affected component serves as a core foundation for guest access management within hospitality environments, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized data access.
This security flaw constitutes a severe authorization bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system through standard HTTP network connections. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.5 indicates a high severity level with significant confidentiality impact, while the vector analysis shows low attack complexity and no required privileges. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by its network accessibility, meaning attackers do not need physical access or specialized credentials to initiate attacks. This characteristic aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control vulnerabilities, and reflects the fundamental principle that security controls should prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of all accessible data within the Oracle Hospitality Guest Access system. This includes guest personal information, reservation details, payment data, and potentially sensitive operational information that hospitality businesses rely on for their services. The confidentiality impact rating of high severity means that attackers can access critical data without any authentication requirements, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, and significant reputational damage for affected organizations. Organizations operating in the hospitality sector face particular risk as guest data breaches can result in regulatory penalties under data protection laws and loss of customer trust.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the affected systems, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and implementation of strong access controls for the affected components. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other Oracle Hospitality applications and ensure proper patch management protocols are followed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical business systems. This weakness also highlights the need for continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessment programs that can identify and remediate similar access control flaws across enterprise applications. Organizations should consider implementing additional authentication layers and access logging to detect unauthorized access attempts and maintain compliance with industry standards for data protection and privacy.