CVE-2018-3158 in Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management component of Oracle Hospitality Applications (subcomponent: Emergency Response System). The supported version that is affected is 9.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3158 resides within Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management's Emergency Response System component, representing a critical security weakness in the hospitality applications suite. This flaw affects version 9.0 of the software and demonstrates how even specialized industry applications can contain significant security gaps that expose sensitive operational data. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal privileges and technical expertise to leverage this weakness effectively.
The technical implementation flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the HTTP-based interface of the Emergency Response System. Attackers with low privilege network access can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the system's data repository, potentially compromising both confidential information and integrity of operational records. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 7.1 reflects the significant impact on confidentiality with high severity and moderate impact on integrity, while availability remains unaffected in this particular case.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to cruise fleet management operations where sensitive passenger data, crew information, emergency protocols, and operational procedures are stored. The ability to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletes to system data means attackers could manipulate critical emergency response procedures, potentially compromising passenger safety during actual emergency situations. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential operational disruption and regulatory compliance violations that could result in significant financial and reputational damage.
The attack vector analysis reveals that this vulnerability operates through the network protocol layer, specifically HTTP communication channels, making it accessible to attackers from external networks without requiring physical access to the system infrastructure. This characteristic aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and follows patterns commonly seen in web application vulnerabilities where authentication and authorization controls fail to properly validate user permissions. The low privilege requirement indicates that the vulnerability likely stems from inadequate session management or insufficient role-based access controls that allow attackers to escalate their privileges through crafted HTTP requests.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate critical systems, enhanced access controls with proper authentication mechanisms, and regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability's characteristics suggest that standard network firewalls and perimeter defenses may not be sufficient to prevent exploitation, requiring more granular security controls at the application level. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and conducting thorough penetration testing of the Emergency Response System component would help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities that could exist within the broader Oracle Hospitality suite.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of securing specialized industry applications that handle sensitive operational data, particularly in environments where safety and security are paramount. The attack surface of such systems requires comprehensive security approaches that consider both traditional network security measures and application-level protections. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous access patterns or unauthorized modifications to emergency response systems, providing early warning capabilities for potential exploitation attempts.
The CVSS vector analysis indicates that while the vulnerability requires network access and low privileges, the potential impact on confidentiality is high, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that store sensitive passenger information or operational details. This vulnerability type commonly appears in legacy systems where security controls were not properly implemented during initial development phases, highlighting the need for continuous security assessment and remediation processes. The affected Oracle Hospitality Cruise Fleet Management system represents a prime example of how specialized software applications can contain critical flaws that require immediate attention from security teams and system administrators responsible for protecting operational infrastructure.