CVE-2018-2993 in CRM Technical Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation component of Oracle E-Business Suite (subcomponent: Preferences). 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 CRM Technical Foundation. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle CRM Technical Foundation, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle CRM Technical Foundation accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle CRM Technical Foundation accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2993 resides within the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation component of Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically affecting the Preferences subcomponent. This weakness manifests in versions 12.1.1 through 12.2.7, representing a significant security gap that impacts enterprise-level customer relationship management systems. The vulnerability operates at the technical foundation level, meaning it affects core system functionality rather than just application-specific features, creating potential cascading effects across the entire E-Business Suite ecosystem. The affected component is part of Oracle's broader suite of enterprise applications that handle critical business processes including customer data management, sales tracking, and operational workflows.
The technical flaw constitutes an easily exploitable vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation through standard HTTP network connections. This represents a critical design oversight where proper authentication mechanisms fail to validate incoming requests before processing them. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by its network-based nature, requiring only basic network access without any specialized tools or privileged credentials. The attack vector operates through HTTP protocols, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed from any location with internet connectivity. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, indicating that social engineering or targeted user manipulation may be necessary to trigger the exploit, though the underlying system weakness remains exploitable regardless of user awareness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it can result in unauthorized access to critical data within the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 8.2 reflects the high severity of potential consequences, with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as high. Attackers can gain complete access to all data accessible through the affected foundation, potentially exposing sensitive customer information, business intelligence, and operational data. Additionally, the vulnerability enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against some of the accessible data, allowing for data manipulation and potential system corruption. The scope of impact is further amplified by the fact that successful attacks may significantly affect additional products within the Oracle E-Business Suite, as this foundation component serves as a core infrastructure element for multiple applications. The vulnerability's potential to cause unauthorized access to critical data aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a significant breach in the principle of least privilege.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-2993 should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches and updates as released through their official security bulletins. Network-level controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be configured to restrict access to the affected Oracle CRM Technical Foundation components, particularly limiting HTTP access to authorized networks and IP addresses. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify any potential exploitation attempts or related vulnerabilities within the broader Oracle E-Business Suite environment. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to administrative functions and sensitive data. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and potentially T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) if DNS-based attacks are possible. Monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns, particularly unauthorized HTTP requests to CRM-related endpoints, should be implemented as part of the overall security posture. System administrators should also consider implementing additional authentication layers and regularly reviewing user access permissions to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.