CVE-2018-3202 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Performance Monitor). 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 of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools 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 • 08/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3202 resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the Performance Monitor subcomponent. This weakness affects version 8.55 and 8.56 of the PeopleSoft products, representing a significant security gap in enterprise resource planning systems. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable vulnerability that requires no authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these systems for critical business operations. The vulnerability operates through HTTP network access, providing attackers with a straightforward attack vector that can be leveraged without prior authorization or specialized tools.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Performance Monitor functionality, allowing unauthorized users to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain access to sensitive data within the PeopleSoft environment. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that falls under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. The vulnerability's impact is specifically confined to confidentiality aspects, as attackers can only perform unauthorized read operations on a subset of accessible data rather than modifying or deleting information. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 5.3 indicates a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N clearly demonstrating that network-based attacks require low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction while affecting the confidentiality of data.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations utilizing PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, particularly those handling sensitive financial, human resources, or operational data. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any network-connected system exposed to the internet could be compromised without the organization's knowledge or consent. Attackers could potentially access employee records, financial data, customer information, or other sensitive business data that the Performance Monitor component typically manages. The subset access limitation suggests that while not all data within the PeopleSoft environment is accessible, the compromised data could still contain highly sensitive information that could be monetized or used for further attacks. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face potential regulatory compliance violations and significant reputational damage if such data breaches occur.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to PeopleSoft applications, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and applying the vendor-provided patches as soon as they become available. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would place it within the Credential Access and Defense Evasion domains, as attackers could leverage this to establish persistent access or move laterally within the network. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all systems are regularly updated with security patches. Additionally, implementing robust access control policies and regular security assessments can help identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.