CVE-2018-3132 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Rich Text Editor). Supported versions that are affected are 8.55 and 8.56. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3132 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically in the Rich Text Editor subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft Products. This flaw affects versions 8.55 and 8.56, representing a significant security risk for organizations utilizing these platforms. The vulnerability operates as an easily exploitable weakness that allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the system through network access via HTTP protocols. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication and can be executed without prior authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where PeopleSoft systems handle sensitive business data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Rich Text Editor functionality, which creates opportunities for malicious actors to inject unauthorized commands or manipulate data processing workflows. This weakness falls under CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how web-based rich text editors can become attack vectors when they fail to properly sanitize user inputs. The vulnerability's classification as CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 indicates moderate severity with significant impacts to both confidentiality and integrity, though it does not directly affect availability. The attack requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that the exploitation may occur through social engineering or phishing techniques that trick end users into performing actions that trigger the vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools environment, potentially affecting additional products within the Oracle ecosystem that may share data or interfaces with the compromised system. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against sensitive data within the PeopleTools accessible data scope, while also enabling unauthorized read access to specific subsets of data. This dual impact on both data integrity and confidentiality creates substantial risk for organizations handling financial, human resources, or other sensitive business information through PeopleSoft platforms. The vulnerability's ability to affect multiple products through shared interfaces aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting local system permissions and privileges to escalate access within enterprise environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches and updates, configuring proper network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft systems, and implementing additional input validation controls within the Rich Text Editor functionality. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while user education programs should address the social engineering aspects of this vulnerability. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates that this vulnerability is accessible over the network, requires low attack complexity, does not require prior privileges, but does require user interaction, making it particularly challenging to defend against without comprehensive security controls. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all affected systems receive proper patch management.