CVE-2018-2649 in FLEXCUBE Universal Banking
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking component of Oracle Financial Services Applications (subcomponent: Infrastructure). Supported versions that are affected are 11.3.0, 11.4.0, 12.0.1, 12.0.2, 12.0.3, 12.1.0, 12.2.0, 12.3.0 and 12.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.1 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2649 resides within Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking, a comprehensive financial services application that serves as a core banking platform for major financial institutions worldwide. This particular flaw exists within the Infrastructure subcomponent of Oracle Financial Services Applications, affecting multiple version releases including 11.3.0 through 12.4.0, making it a widespread concern across various operational environments. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal privileges and network access can successfully compromise the system, representing a significant security risk for financial institutions relying on this platform for their core banking operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and authentication mechanisms within the HTTP interface of the FLEXCUBE Universal Banking system. Attackers with low privileged network access can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to critical data within the system, potentially enabling them to create, delete, or modify sensitive financial information. The flaw operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the infrastructure components that manage data integrity and system availability. This weakness allows for both data manipulation and system disruption, creating a dual threat that can compromise both the integrity and availability aspects of the information security triad as defined by the Common Weakness Enumeration standards.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as successful exploitation can result in complete denial of service conditions that can bring critical banking operations to a halt. The ability to cause system hangs or frequently repeatable crashes represents a severe availability threat that can disrupt financial transactions, customer services, and overall business continuity. Financial institutions utilizing FLEXCUBE Universal Banking may face significant operational disruption, customer dissatisfaction, and potential regulatory consequences if this vulnerability is exploited. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.1 reflects the high severity of both integrity and availability impacts, indicating that organizations must take immediate action to address this weakness.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patching of affected systems, network segmentation to limit access to the vulnerable components, and enhanced monitoring of HTTP traffic for suspicious activities. The vulnerability's network accessibility means that organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls and access restrictions for the FLEXCUBE Universal Banking interface. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected versions and ensure proper configuration management. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems and regular security audits can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, emphasizing the need for layered defensive measures that address both unauthorized access and system availability concerns.