CVE-2018-3101 in WebCenter Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebCenter Portal component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Portlet Services). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1.9.0, 12.2.1.2.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle WebCenter Portal. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle WebCenter Portal 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-2018-3101 resides within Oracle WebCenter Portal component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, specifically within the Portlet Services subcomponent. This security flaw affects multiple version lines including 11.1.1.9.0, 12.2.1.2.0, and 12.2.1.3.0, representing a significant attack surface for organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware solutions. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise and can leverage standard network-based attack vectors to compromise affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Portlet Services functionality, allowing unauthenticated attackers to access portions of the Oracle WebCenter Portal data. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 5.3, reflecting a medium severity impact with confidentiality implications. The attack vector AV:N indicates network-based exploitation requiring no prior authentication or user interaction, while AC:L demonstrates low attack complexity. The PR:N classification confirms that no privileges are required for exploitation, and the absence of user interaction requirements further simplifies the attack process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle WebCenter Portal accessible data, potentially exposing sensitive information stored within the portal environment. This data compromise could include confidential business information, user credentials, or proprietary content depending on the portal configuration and data access controls implemented. Organizations relying on WebCenter Portal for enterprise content management, collaboration, or portal services face significant risk of data exposure, potentially affecting business continuity and regulatory compliance requirements.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and align it with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1078 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning. The vulnerability's characteristics align with the attacker's ability to perform reconnaissance and data exfiltration without detection, making it particularly concerning for organizations with limited network monitoring capabilities. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, implementing network segmentation, and strengthening access controls around the affected portal services. The vulnerability's low attack complexity and lack of privilege requirements make it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns, emphasizing the need for prompt remediation and ongoing security monitoring.