CVE-2018-2876 in Retail Integration Bus
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Retail Integration Bus component of Oracle Retail Applications (subcomponent: RIB Kernal(Apache Commons Collections)). The supported version that is affected is 13.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Retail Integration Bus. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Retail Integration Bus, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Retail Integration Bus accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Retail Integration Bus accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Retail Integration Bus. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2876 resides within the Oracle Retail Integration Bus component of Oracle Retail Applications, specifically within the RIB Kernel subcomponent that utilizes Apache Commons Collections library. This represents a critical security flaw that affects version 13.2 of the software, making it susceptible to exploitation by unauthenticated attackers who can access the system through HTTP network connections. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this weakness, significantly increasing the attack surface and potential impact. The attack vector through HTTP networks means that any system with exposed ports or services can become vulnerable, particularly in environments where Oracle Retail Integration Bus is deployed without proper network segmentation or firewall controls. The vulnerability's designation as having a CVSS 3.0 Base Score of 7.1 places it in the high severity category, reflecting the combination of confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts that can occur.
The technical flaw stems from improper input validation and handling within the Apache Commons Collections library integration within Oracle Retail Integration Bus, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate the system through crafted HTTP requests. This vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or targeted user engagement might be necessary to initiate successful exploitation attempts. However, once initiated, the attack can have cascading effects that extend beyond the immediate Oracle Retail Integration Bus component, potentially affecting additional Oracle products within the same ecosystem. The exploitation mechanism likely involves the manipulation of serialized objects or data structures that are processed by the affected Apache Commons Collections library, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code or manipulate system behavior through carefully constructed input parameters. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-502 which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such libraries are commonly used.
The operational impact of this vulnerability can be severe and multifaceted, encompassing unauthorized data manipulation and access capabilities that extend to both read and write operations within the affected system. Successful exploitation enables attackers to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, and deletes on sensitive data within Oracle Retail Integration Bus, potentially compromising inventory management, transaction processing, or customer information systems. The unauthorized read access to subset data within the system provides attackers with valuable intelligence that could be used for further exploitation or financial gain. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability means that attackers can disrupt business operations by causing system instability or resource exhaustion, affecting the availability of critical retail integration services. The combination of these impacts creates a significant risk to business continuity and data integrity, particularly in retail environments where system uptime and data accuracy are paramount for operational success. The CVSS vector indicates that this vulnerability can be exploited over a network with low attack complexity and no authentication requirements, while requiring user interaction to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may be targeted through phishing or other social engineering techniques.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-2876 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates as released in their critical patch updates. Network-level defenses should be strengthened through proper firewall rules that restrict access to Oracle Retail Integration Bus services, implementing network segmentation to limit the attack surface, and monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns. Security controls should include disabling unnecessary HTTP services and ports, implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms, and establishing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Oracle Retail Applications suite, as the presence of Apache Commons Collections in the affected system suggests potential exposure to similar deserialization vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement proper user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that might be used to initiate exploitation, as the vulnerability requires human interaction to be successfully launched. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched environments to ensure that updates do not introduce compatibility issues with existing retail integration processes, while maintaining detailed audit logs to track access and modifications to critical systems. Compliance with industry standards such as those outlined in the ATT&CK framework should be considered when developing defensive strategies, particularly focusing on the execution and persistence phases that may be leveraged by attackers exploiting this vulnerability.