CVE-2018-2739 in Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Access Manager component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Web Server Plugin). Supported versions that are affected are 10.1.4.3.0, 11.1.2.3.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Access Manager. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Access Manager, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle Access Manager accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Access Manager accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 9.3 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2739 resides within the Oracle Access Manager component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, specifically within the Web Server Plugin subcomponent. This critical security flaw affects multiple supported versions including 10.1.4.3.0, 11.1.2.3.0, and 12.2.1.3.0, making it a widespread concern across various Oracle Fusion Middleware deployments. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it without requiring specialized skills or significant resources, posing a substantial risk to organizations relying on Oracle Access Manager for their identity and access management infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Web Server Plugin component, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain access to Oracle Access Manager through HTTP network connections. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the security architecture where network-based attacks can bypass traditional authentication controls. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.0 score of 9.3 reflects its severe impact potential, with high confidentiality and integrity implications that can result in unauthorized access to critical data and complete modification capabilities within the affected system. The attack vector requiring only network access via HTTP means that this vulnerability can be exploited from external networks, significantly expanding the potential attack surface.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2739 extends beyond the immediate Oracle Access Manager environment, as successful exploitation can affect additional products within the Oracle Fusion Middleware ecosystem. This cascading effect demonstrates how vulnerabilities in core components can compromise entire application stacks, potentially affecting multiple services and applications that depend on the compromised access manager. The requirement for human interaction from individuals other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or targeted phishing attacks may be necessary to initiate exploitation, though this does not reduce the overall threat level. The vulnerability's potential to enable unauthorized creation, deletion, or modification of critical data represents a severe compromise of data integrity and availability, while the ability to gain complete access to all Oracle Access Manager accessible data constitutes a total breach of confidentiality.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates released to remediate the flaw. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit exposure of Oracle Access Manager components to untrusted networks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and reflects patterns commonly addressed by ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation. Monitoring for suspicious network activity and implementing robust intrusion detection systems becomes critical in identifying potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any unauthorized access that may have occurred before patching, as the vulnerability's severity suggests that attackers could have already gained access to sensitive data and system resources.