CVE-2018-3135 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Portal). 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. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.7 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-3135 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Portal subcomponent. This vulnerability impacts versions 8.55 and 8.56 of the PeopleSoft platform, which are widely deployed enterprise applications used for business process management and human resources management. The flaw exists within the PeopleTools component that handles portal functionality, making it a critical attack surface for organizations relying on these systems for their operational workflows.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the portal subsystem, allowing unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system through standard HTTP network connections. The CVSS score of 4.7 indicates a moderate severity level with integrity impacts, meaning that successful exploitation could enable attackers to perform unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on sensitive data within the PeopleSoft environment. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable suggests that the attack vector requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with insufficient network security controls. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker indicates that social engineering or user-specific actions may be necessary to complete the exploitation process, though the initial access point remains unauthenticated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools environment, as the attack could potentially compromise additional products within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem. This cascading effect occurs because PeopleSoft systems often integrate with other Oracle products and enterprise applications, creating interconnected attack surfaces where a single vulnerability can propagate across multiple systems. Organizations utilizing these platforms face significant risks including data integrity compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive employee information, financial data manipulation, and potential disruption of critical business processes. The vulnerability's ability to enable unauthorized data modifications without requiring administrative privileges makes it particularly concerning for organizations handling confidential corporate information or regulated data sets.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft systems, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and enforcement of strict access controls for portal components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the need for comprehensive network security measures. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their entire PeopleSoft deployment, implement regular patch management processes, and consider disabling unnecessary portal functionality until proper security controls are in place. The remediation process should include reviewing user access permissions, implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative functions, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. Regular security awareness training for users can help prevent social engineering components of exploitation while maintaining appropriate network access controls to limit the attack surface and reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.