CVE-2018-2986 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Workflow). 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 • 04/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2986 resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the Workflow subcomponent. This security flaw affects versions 8.55 and 8.56 of the PeopleSoft products, representing a significant concern for organizations utilizing these enterprise applications. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can readily leverage this weakness without requiring specialized skills or extensive resources, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems handle sensitive business data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools through HTTP network access, eliminating the need for valid credentials or prior system access. This attack vector represents a critical weakness in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the affected systems, as the flaw does not require the attacker to have legitimate access rights to the platform. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate PeopleTools component, potentially affecting additional products within the PeopleSoft ecosystem, demonstrating the interconnected nature of enterprise applications and how a single flaw can create cascading security risks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests through unauthorized data manipulation capabilities, including update, insert, and delete operations on sensitive data within PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Additionally, attackers can gain unauthorized read access to specific subsets of accessible data, creating potential exposure of confidential business information, financial records, or employee data. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of this vulnerability, with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as low, while the attack complexity is classified as low, indicating that exploitation requires minimal technical skill. The vector representation (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) shows that network-based attacks are possible without requiring user interaction from the attacker's perspective, though human interaction from a legitimate user is necessary for successful exploitation.
The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that this vulnerability may be exploited through social engineering techniques or by leveraging legitimate user sessions, potentially through cross-site scripting or other client-side attack vectors that trick users into performing malicious actions. This aspect of the vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and other client-side attack patterns that exploit user trust relationships. Organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls, input validation mechanisms, and user session management improvements to mitigate potential exploitation of this vulnerability.
The security implications of CVE-2018-2986 extend beyond immediate data compromise, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate business processes, alter financial records, or gain access to sensitive personal information. This vulnerability represents a significant risk for organizations that rely heavily on PeopleSoft for critical business operations, particularly in industries such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors where data integrity and confidentiality are paramount. The potential for this vulnerability to affect multiple products within the PeopleSoft ecosystem means that organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments across their entire PeopleSoft deployment to identify any additional systems that may be impacted by similar weaknesses.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected versions, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft applications, and enhanced monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns. Organizations should also review their user access controls and implement additional authentication mechanisms to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely involve techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation, making it important for security teams to monitor for unusual access patterns and implement proper incident response procedures. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other enterprise applications and ensure comprehensive protection across the organization's technology infrastructure.