CVE-2018-3167 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Application Management Pack for Oracle E-Business Suite component of Oracle E-Business Suite (subcomponent: User Monitoring). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6 and 12.2.7. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Application Management Pack for Oracle E-Business Suite. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Application Management Pack for Oracle E-Business Suite accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3167 resides within the Application Management Pack component of Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically within the User Monitoring subcomponent. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that affects multiple version releases including 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6, and 12.2.7. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and manifests as an insufficient authorization mechanism that permits unauthorized access to sensitive data within the managed application environment. The affected system components are particularly concerning as they handle user monitoring functions that typically contain sensitive operational data and user information. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 5.3, indicating a medium severity level with specific focus on confidentiality impacts.
This vulnerability operates through the HTTP protocol and requires no authentication credentials from the attacker, making it exceptionally dangerous in networked environments. The flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit the system by simply accessing the vulnerable Application Management Pack through standard HTTP connections. The attack vector analysis reveals that the vulnerability is easily exploitable, requiring minimal technical expertise or resources to execute. According to the ATT&CK framework, this represents a technique categorized under credential access and privilege escalation, specifically targeting application layer weaknesses. The vulnerability's design flaw lies in the lack of proper access controls within the User Monitoring functionality, which should have implemented robust authentication and authorization mechanisms to prevent unauthorized data access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables unauthorized read access to a subset of Application Management Pack data. This compromise can result in significant information disclosure that may include user monitoring data, application access patterns, and potentially sensitive operational information. Organizations utilizing affected Oracle E-Business Suite versions face potential risks including intellectual property exposure, operational disruption, and compliance violations. The confidentiality impact is particularly severe as it allows attackers to gather operational intelligence about system usage patterns and user activities without detection. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to cascading security issues within the broader Oracle E-Business Suite ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3167 should prioritize immediate implementation of Oracle's security patches and updates, which address the underlying authorization flaw in the User Monitoring component. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the vulnerable Application Management Pack components, particularly limiting HTTP access to trusted networks only. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software versions and implement proper access controls. The CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification for this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's stealthy nature makes it difficult to detect through traditional security controls alone. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that the implemented mitigations remain effective against evolving threat landscapes.