CVE-2018-2853 in Hospitality Simphony First Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition component of Oracle Hospitality Applications (subcomponent: Operations, Client Application Loader). Supported versions that are affected are 1.6 and 1.7. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.4 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2853 resides within the Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition component, specifically within the Operations Client Application Loader subcomponent. This flaw affects versions 1.6 and 1.7 of the Oracle Hospitality Applications suite, representing a significant security weakness in hospitality management software that serves numerous hotels and restaurants worldwide. The vulnerability operates within the context of a client application loader mechanism that processes operations-related functionality, making it a critical component for day-to-day hospitality operations.
This vulnerability represents a low-privilege attack vector that can be exploited through unauthenticated network access via HTTP protocols. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the client application loader, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the system through carefully crafted HTTP requests. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack surface is well-defined and accessible without requiring specialized tools or extensive reconnaissance. The CVSS 3.0 score of 5.4 reflects the moderate severity of the threat, with equal emphasis on both confidentiality and integrity impacts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as successful exploitation enables attackers to perform unauthorized data manipulation activities. Attackers can execute unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against sensitive hospitality data, potentially compromising guest information, financial records, and operational data. Additionally, the vulnerability permits unauthorized read access to specific subsets of accessible data, which could include customer profiles, reservation details, payment information, and other confidential operational data. This dual capability of data modification and unauthorized access creates a substantial risk for hospitality businesses that rely on the integrity and confidentiality of their guest and operational information.
The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates how insufficient privilege validation can lead to unauthorized data operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving unauthorized access and privilege escalation through network-based attacks. The threat landscape for hospitality applications is particularly concerning given the sensitive nature of the data handled, including personal identification information, financial details, and proprietary business intelligence. Organizations utilizing Oracle Hospitality Simphony First Edition should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation, access control restrictions, and application-level security hardening measures.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize network-level controls such as implementing firewall rules to restrict HTTP access to the affected component, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns, and applying the latest Oracle security patches. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive access reviews to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the affected operations client application loader. The implementation of secure coding practices and regular security assessments would help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the software. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous access patterns and unauthorized data manipulation attempts that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.