CVE-2018-2955 in Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services component of Oracle Hospitality Applications (subcomponent: Integration). The supported version that is affected is 5.5.x. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2955 resides within the Oracle Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services component, specifically within the Integration subcomponent of Oracle Hospitality Applications. This particular vulnerability affects version 5.5.x of the software, representing a significant security weakness that exposes critical hospitality management systems to unauthorized access. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable vulnerability that requires minimal technical expertise from potential attackers, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where hospitality operations rely heavily on integrated property management systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the HTTP communication channels of the OPERA 5 Property Services. An unauthenticated attacker positioned on the network can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized read access to sensitive data within the affected system. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector requires no specialized tools or extensive knowledge beyond basic network access, while the CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.3 reflects the moderate severity of the confidentiality impact. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N) confirms that the attack requires network access with low complexity, no prior privileges, and no user interaction, while the limited impact on integrity and availability suggests the primary concern is data exposure rather than system disruption or modification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it exposes sensitive property management information that could include guest records, reservation details, financial data, and operational metrics. This unauthorized access capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates potential for significant financial and reputational damage to hospitality organizations. The vulnerability's location within the Integration subcomponent suggests that it may affect data flows between different systems within the hospitality ecosystem, potentially allowing attackers to gather intelligence about property operations, guest preferences, and business patterns that could be leveraged for further attacks or competitive advantage.
Organizations utilizing Oracle Hospitality OPERA 5 Property Services version 5.5.x face substantial risk from this vulnerability, particularly given the widespread adoption of this platform within the hospitality industry. The lack of authentication requirements for HTTP access creates an attack surface that can be exploited by both malicious actors and automated scanning tools. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a clear violation of security best practices outlined in various industry standards including those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Center for Internet Security. The attack pattern described in the vulnerability corresponds to techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the initial access and credential access phases, where adversaries seek to establish unauthorized access to systems through network-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to address the authentication flaw within the HTTP interface. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate critical property management systems and consider deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar authentication weaknesses within the broader hospitality IT infrastructure, while access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive operational data. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring for hospitality management systems, as these platforms often contain sensitive data that requires robust protection against unauthorized access attempts.