CVE-2018-2652 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Integration Broker). Supported versions that are affected are 8.54, 8.55 and 8.56. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools 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).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2021
The CVE-2018-2652 vulnerability resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the Integration Broker subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft products. This flaw affects versions 8.54, 8.55, and 8.56, representing a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers. The vulnerability operates at the network level through HTTP protocols, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no prior authentication credentials to exploit. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability at 7.5 out of 10, with a base score that emphasizes the high confidentiality impact potential, while maintaining low attack complexity and no required privileges for exploitation. This classification aligns with CWE-287, which addresses authentication failures, and represents a critical weakness in the authentication mechanisms of the integration broker service.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical data within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools environment. The flaw allows for complete access to all data accessible through the affected integration broker service, potentially compromising sensitive enterprise information including financial data, employee records, and business-critical operational details. The vulnerability's design flaw likely involves improper input validation or authentication handling within the HTTP request processing of the Integration Broker component. Attackers can leverage this weakness without requiring legitimate credentials, making the attack surface particularly broad and the potential impact severe for organizations relying on PeopleSoft for core business operations. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, demonstrating how attackers can leverage HTTP-based services to gain unauthorized access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability face substantial operational risks including potential data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and business disruption. The ability to access critical enterprise data without authentication creates opportunities for financial fraud, intellectual property theft, and competitive disadvantage. The impact extends beyond immediate data compromise to include potential system-wide infiltration, as the integration broker often serves as a communication hub between different enterprise systems. Organizations must consider the cascading effects of such a vulnerability, where compromised data access could lead to further exploitation of connected systems and applications. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation means that organizations with exposed PeopleSoft installations are particularly at risk, as the attack can be executed by any network entity with access to the HTTP endpoints. Remediation efforts should include immediate patching, network segmentation, and enhanced monitoring of integration broker communications to detect potential exploitation attempts.