CVE-2018-3072 in PeopleSoft HRMS
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft HRMS component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Candidate Gateway). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft HRMS. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft HRMS 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-2018-3072 affects the PeopleSoft HRMS component within Oracle PeopleSoft Products, specifically targeting the Candidate Gateway subcomponent in version 9.2. This represents a significant security weakness that exposes organizations to unauthorized data access risks. The vulnerability operates within the broader context of enterprise resource planning systems where human resources data is stored and managed, making it a critical target for threat actors seeking sensitive personnel information. The affected system component serves as a gateway for candidate interactions within the HR management framework, creating a potential entry point for malicious activities that could compromise the integrity of personnel records and related sensitive data.
This vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the Candidate Gateway functionality, allowing unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system through standard HTTP network connections. The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper access controls that should normally require valid authentication credentials before granting access to sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector requires minimal technical expertise or resources to execute successfully, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is common. The system's failure to properly validate user identity before granting data access creates a direct pathway for unauthorized information retrieval without the need for sophisticated attack techniques or prior access credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can lead to unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft HRMS accessible data, potentially including sensitive personnel information, candidate records, and related HR data. This compromise directly affects the confidentiality aspect of the information security triad, with the CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.3 reflecting the moderate severity of unauthorized data access. The vulnerability affects the entire PeopleSoft HRMS system and could potentially expose sensitive human resources data to unauthorized parties, creating risks for data privacy compliance and organizational security. Organizations utilizing this software component face increased risk of data breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and potential legal ramifications from unauthorized access to personnel information.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to the affected system components, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and enforcement of strong access controls through proper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploit public-facing application, emphasizing the need for proper network access controls. Additional security measures should include regular vulnerability assessments, network monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns, and implementation of proper logging and alerting systems to detect unauthorized access attempts. System administrators should also consider applying Oracle's official security patches and updates to remediate the vulnerability at the source, while conducting comprehensive security audits to identify any other potential access control weaknesses within the PeopleSoft environment.