CVE-2018-2992 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected is 8.5.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-2992 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a comprehensive suite of software development kits that provides document conversion and processing capabilities for Oracle Fusion Middleware environments. This component serves as a critical foundation for handling various document formats and is widely integrated into enterprise applications requiring document processing functionality. The affected version 8.5.3 represents a specific release that contains a significant security flaw within its Outside In Filters subcomponent, which governs the parsing and handling of various file formats. This vulnerability specifically impacts the network-based processing capabilities of the technology stack, creating potential entry points for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's document handling mechanisms.
The technical flaw manifests as an easily exploitable vulnerability that operates through HTTP network protocols, allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise the Oracle Outside In Technology environment. This vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, indicating that successful exploitation typically involves social engineering or user interaction with malicious content. The attack vector operates at the network level with low attack complexity, meaning that skilled attackers can readily leverage this weakness without requiring specialized tools or extensive technical knowledge. The vulnerability's design flaw appears to stem from inadequate input validation and processing controls within the document parsing routines, potentially allowing crafted malicious payloads to trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying processing engine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple security domains, providing attackers with unauthorized access to critical data and complete access to all data accessible through the Oracle Outside In Technology components. The confidentiality impact is rated highly at "high" level, indicating that successful exploitation could result in exposure of sensitive information. Additionally, the availability impact is assessed at "low" level, suggesting partial denial of service conditions that could disrupt system operations. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 7.1 reflects the severity of the potential compromise, with the base score indicating significant risk to both data confidentiality and system availability. The CVSS vector analysis reveals that the attack requires network access with low complexity and no privileged user requirements, while the human interaction component suggests that social engineering elements may be necessary for initial compromise.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a potential entry point for broader attacks within Oracle Fusion Middleware environments, particularly when the Outside In Technology components are integrated with web-facing applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when the technology is used in applications that directly process network-received data, as the CVSS scoring assumes this direct data flow scenario. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while also ensuring that all Oracle Fusion Middleware installations are updated to patched versions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and potentially CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow) categories, representing common software security weaknesses that attackers frequently exploit in enterprise environments. Mitigation strategies should include network-based firewall rules to restrict HTTP access to Outside In Technology components, regular patch management procedures, and monitoring for anomalous document processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under initial access and privilege escalation tactics, where attackers might leverage it to gain unauthorized system access and potentially move laterally within the network infrastructure.