CVE-2018-2768 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected is 8.5.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2768 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process and convert various document formats. This specific flaw manifests in the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which handles the parsing and processing of external data inputs, particularly when interfacing with HTTP protocols. The affected version 8.5.3 represents a widely deployed configuration across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on Oracle Fusion Middleware solutions. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage network-based attacks without requiring authentication credentials, though successful exploitation necessitates human interaction from users who encounter malicious content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Outside In Filters processing pipeline, creating potential for arbitrary code execution or data manipulation when processing specially crafted inputs. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 7.1, reflecting high confidentiality impact and moderate availability impact, with the vector indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, and user interaction necessity. This vulnerability operates through the HTTP protocol interface, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing applications that utilize Oracle Outside In Technology for document processing. The security implications extend beyond simple data access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of all accessible data within the Oracle Outside In Technology environment, while simultaneously enabling partial denial of service conditions that can disrupt legitimate business operations.
Organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with Outside In Technology components face significant operational risks from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where document processing occurs on behalf of users or automated systems. The requirement for human interaction reduces the automated exploitation potential but does not eliminate the threat, as social engineering campaigns can effectively leverage this weakness. The impact extends to critical data exposure, where unauthorized parties could access sensitive corporate information, financial records, or intellectual property stored within systems utilizing this technology. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability can disrupt business processes that depend on document conversion and processing services, potentially affecting customer service operations, compliance reporting, and internal workflow automation. Security teams must consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their overall risk management frameworks, particularly when assessing the security posture of middleware environments that process external document inputs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2768 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Oracle, as this represents the most effective defense against exploitation. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit direct access to systems utilizing Outside In Technology, particularly those exposed to untrusted networks. Input validation controls should be enhanced at application boundaries to filter potentially malicious content before it reaches the vulnerable processing components. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in document processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting controls and reducing the attack surface by disabling unnecessary HTTP interfaces when possible. Regular security assessments should verify the effectiveness of implemented controls and ensure that all systems utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware have been properly updated to address this vulnerability.