CVE-2018-2788 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Fluid Core). Supported versions that are affected are 8.55 and 8.56. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools 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 CVE-2018-2788 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Fluid Core subcomponent. This vulnerability exists in versions 8.55 and 8.56 of the PeopleTools suite, making it particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of these enterprise applications. The flaw resides in the application's handling of HTTP requests, creating an avenue for unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system without requiring prior authentication credentials or privileged access. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage relatively simple attack vectors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive enterprise data systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the Fluid Core framework. Attackers can leverage HTTP network access to initiate malicious requests that bypass normal authentication procedures, allowing them to manipulate data within the PeopleSoft environment. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate PeopleTools component, potentially affecting interconnected enterprise applications that rely on PeopleSoft infrastructure. The attack requires human interaction from individuals other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or user manipulation might be necessary to initiate the exploitation process, though the actual technical exploitation remains straightforward once initiated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, as successful exploitation can result in unauthorized modification of critical business data through update, insert, and delete operations on accessible data sets. Additionally, attackers can gain unauthorized read access to sensitive information within the PeopleSoft environment, potentially exposing confidential business data, financial records, or employee information. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of the vulnerability, with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as low to moderate, while the scope of impact is considered high due to the potential for cascading effects across multiple enterprise systems. The vulnerability's network accessibility and lack of required privileges make it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PeopleSoft systems handle sensitive organizational data.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft systems, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP requests, and application-level access controls to restrict data access based on user roles. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify potential exploitation attempts, while security patches from Oracle should be applied promptly upon availability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a concern for ATT&CK technique T1212, which involves exploitation of remote services through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual data access patterns and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing PeopleSoft data integrity violations.