CVE-2018-2871 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Human Resources component of Oracle E-Business Suite (subcomponent: General Utilities). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.1, 12.1.2, 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6 and 12.2.7. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Human Resources. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Oracle Human Resources accessible data as well as unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Human Resources accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 9.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2871 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle E-Business Suite's Human Resources component, specifically within the General Utilities subcomponent. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Oracle E-Business Suite including 12.1.1 through 12.2.7, making it a widespread concern for organizations utilizing these legacy systems. The flaw exists in the way the system handles HTTP requests, creating an attack vector that can be exploited by unauthenticated remote adversaries without requiring any prior access credentials or privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the Oracle Human Resources application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the affected system, bypassing normal authentication and authorization processes. This allows unauthorized individuals to perform administrative functions including creating, deleting, or modifying critical data within the Human Resources module. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through standard network-based means.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with comprehensive access to sensitive human resources data including employee records, payroll information, and other confidential personnel details. The CVSS 3.0 score of 9.1 reflects the high severity of this flaw, with both confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as high. Successful exploitation can result in complete data compromise, allowing attackers to access all accessible data within the Oracle Human Resources module or modify critical information. This represents a significant risk to organizational security and compliance requirements, particularly in industries with strict data protection regulations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle patches and security updates released to address this specific flaw. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the affected Oracle E-Business Suite components, particularly limiting HTTP access to trusted networks only. Additional security measures such as intrusion detection systems and monitoring of HTTP traffic can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as attackers may first discover vulnerable systems before attempting exploitation. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses in other Oracle E-Business Suite components and related applications.