CVE-2018-3104 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 identified as CVE-2018-3104 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a comprehensive suite of software development kits that provides document processing capabilities for Oracle Fusion Middleware applications. This component serves as a critical filter mechanism for handling various document formats and is integrated into numerous enterprise applications that process external data. The affected version 8.5.3 represents a specific release where a fundamental flaw exists in how the system processes incoming HTTP requests through its Outside In Filters subcomponent, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's document handling capabilities.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient input validation vulnerability that occurs when the Outside In Technology processes documents received over HTTP connections. Attackers can craft specifically formatted malicious documents that, when processed by the vulnerable system, trigger unexpected behavior within the document parsing engine. This vulnerability operates at the protocol level where network-based attacks can be executed without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for systems that process untrusted documents from external sources. The vulnerability's exploitability is rated as easily accessible due to the lack of authentication requirements and the direct network exposure through HTTP protocols, while the requirement for human interaction suggests that successful exploitation typically involves social engineering elements or specific user actions that trigger the vulnerable code path.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise to encompass complete system data access and partial denial of service conditions. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data stored within Oracle Outside In Technology accessible environments, potentially exposing confidential business information, intellectual property, or personal data. The confidentiality impact is rated as high due to the potential for complete data disclosure, while the availability impact is rated as partial as attackers can cause disruption to system operations through resource exhaustion or process termination. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 7.1 reflects these combined impacts, with the vector indicating network-based access, low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, and user interaction needed for successful exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploiting document processing vulnerabilities.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of Oracle Outside In Technology should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit direct access to vulnerable systems, implementing strict input validation controls for all document processing endpoints, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns. The recommended approach involves upgrading to patched versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware where available, implementing application firewalls to filter malicious document requests, and establishing comprehensive monitoring procedures for document processing activities. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems that utilize the vulnerable Outside In Technology SDKs and implement least-privilege access controls to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of securing document processing components within enterprise applications, as these systems often serve as attack vectors for broader network compromises and data breaches.