CVE-2018-2996 in Applications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Applications Manager component of Oracle E-Business Suite (subcomponent: Oracle Diagnostics Interfaces). Supported versions that are affected are 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 Applications Manager. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Applications Manager accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.5 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2996 resides within Oracle Applications Manager component of the Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically within the Oracle Diagnostics Interfaces subcomponent. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that affects multiple versions including 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6, and 12.2.7 of the Oracle E-Business Suite. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates characteristics that align with CWE-284, which deals with improper access control mechanisms, and potentially CWE-310, concerning cryptographic issues that may lead to authentication bypass. The CVSS score of 7.5 indicates a high severity vulnerability with a base score reflecting significant confidentiality impact while maintaining low complexity for exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit network access through HTTP protocols to compromise the Oracle Applications Manager system. This represents a critical flaw in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that should normally protect sensitive application interfaces. The vulnerability's exploitability characteristics, as indicated by the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, suggest that attackers can leverage network-based attacks without requiring any prior authentication credentials or user interaction, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations running affected Oracle E-Business Suite versions. The attack surface extends to all data accessible through Oracle Applications Manager, potentially exposing sensitive business information and critical system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as successful exploitation can lead to complete access to all Oracle Applications Manager accessible data. This comprehensive access capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocols and represents a significant risk for enterprise environments. Organizations utilizing affected Oracle E-Business Suite versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and possible lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's ability to compromise critical data without requiring authentication makes it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to enterprise systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2996 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle E-Business Suite installations through official Oracle security updates. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions including firewall rules that limit access to Oracle Applications Manager interfaces to trusted networks only. Additionally, monitoring for unauthorized network access attempts to HTTP endpoints should be enhanced through intrusion detection systems and security information event management solutions. The vulnerability's classification under CVSS 3.0 scoring system indicates that organizations should treat this as a high-priority security issue requiring immediate attention, particularly in environments where sensitive business data is processed through Oracle E-Business Suite applications. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege access controls should be implemented to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.