CVE-2018-3108 in Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Fusion Middleware component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Oracle Notification Service). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.1.2 and 12.2.1.3. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTPS to compromise Oracle Fusion Middleware. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Fusion Middleware accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3108 resides within Oracle Fusion Middleware's Oracle Notification Service component, specifically affecting versions 12.2.1.2 and 12.2.1.3. This represents a significant security weakness in Oracle's enterprise middleware stack that serves as a foundational element for many organizations' business applications and data integration services. The Oracle Notification Service functions as a critical communication mechanism within Fusion Middleware, facilitating event-driven notifications and messaging between various enterprise components. When compromised, this service can undermine the integrity and confidentiality of entire enterprise ecosystems that depend on Oracle Fusion Middleware for their operational continuity.
The technical flaw manifests as a vulnerability that requires minimal privileges to exploit, specifically allowing attackers with network access via HTTPS to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data within the Oracle Fusion Middleware environment. The CVSS score of 5.3 reflects the moderate severity of this vulnerability, with the primary impact focused on confidentiality rather than integrity or availability. The attack vector requires network access and is classified as having high complexity, suggesting that while the vulnerability is exploitable, it demands specific conditions and knowledge to successfully compromise the system. The low privilege requirement indicates that even users with minimal access rights could potentially leverage this weakness to escalate their access within the Oracle Fusion Middleware environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as successful exploitation could lead to complete access to all Oracle Fusion Middleware accessible data. This comprehensive access capability poses severe risks to enterprise security, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive business information, customer data, financial records, and proprietary intellectual property that organizations rely on for competitive advantage and regulatory compliance. The vulnerability's potential to affect critical data access makes it particularly concerning for enterprises that depend heavily on Oracle Fusion Middleware for their core business operations and data management processes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) to address this vulnerability in affected versions. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit unnecessary HTTPS access to Oracle Fusion Middleware components, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a typical example of how insufficient access controls in enterprise middleware can create pathways for unauthorized data access. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers could potentially leverage it to move laterally within the enterprise network and access additional systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other Oracle Fusion Middleware components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar threats.