CVE-2018-2748 in FLEXCUBE Universal Banking
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Banking Corporate Lending component of Oracle Financial Services Applications (subcomponent: Core module). Supported versions that are affected are 12.3.0, 12.4.0, 12.5.0 and 14.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Banking Corporate Lending. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Banking Corporate Lending, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Banking Corporate Lending accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Banking Corporate Lending accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2748 resides within Oracle Banking Corporate Lending component of Oracle Financial Services Applications, specifically within the Core module of affected versions 12.3.0, 12.4.0, 12.5.0, and 14.0.0. This represents a critical security flaw that manifests as an easily exploitable weakness allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise the targeted system through network-based HTTP access. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems handle sensitive financial data and transactions. The attack vector operates through standard HTTP protocols, requiring no authentication credentials or specialized tools beyond basic network connectivity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and authentication mechanisms within the Oracle Banking Corporate Lending application's Core module. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to data within the system, specifically enabling unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on sensitive data, alongside unauthorized read access to specific subsets of data that should remain protected. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity impact with a base score that considers both confidentiality and integrity impacts, while the availability impact remains low at zero. The attack requires human interaction from individuals other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or user manipulation may be necessary to complete the exploitation process. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the context of CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210 for exploiting weak or unpatched services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate compromised Oracle Banking Corporate Lending system, as successful exploitation can significantly affect additional products within the Oracle Financial Services Applications ecosystem. This cascading effect demonstrates how a single vulnerability can create ripple effects across interconnected financial applications, potentially exposing sensitive customer data, transaction records, and financial information. Organizations utilizing these affected versions face substantial risk of data breaches that could compromise customer trust, regulatory compliance, and financial stability. The vulnerability's potential for unauthorized data modification poses risks to financial integrity and could lead to fraudulent transactions or data manipulation that would be difficult to detect and remediate. The requirement for human interaction suggests that social engineering attacks may be particularly effective, as attackers could manipulate employees into performing actions that facilitate exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, which would likely be part of Oracle's Critical Patch Updates or similar security bulletins. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict unnecessary HTTP access to the affected systems, while monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that only authorized personnel can perform critical operations within the banking applications. The implementation of intrusion detection systems and security information event management tools would provide additional layers of protection. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the Oracle Financial Services Applications suite. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls and authentication mechanisms that align with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 for access control and authorization, while following ATT&CK framework guidance for defensive measures against service exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's classification as a medium severity issue that requires immediate attention underscores the importance of proactive security measures and regular patch management processes.