CVE-2018-3204 in Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Analytics Server). The supported version that is affected is 12.2.1.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3204 resides within Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, specifically within the Analytics Server subcomponent of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This flaw affects version 12.2.1.3.0 and represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers with network access through HTTP protocols. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this weakness with minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems are often accessible over networks without proper security controls. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.2 reflects the severity of impact, with high confidentiality impact and low integrity impact, suggesting that unauthorized access to sensitive data poses the primary concern.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Analytics Server component, allowing attackers to bypass normal access controls and gain unauthorized access to the system. This weakness specifically affects the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition platform, which is commonly deployed in enterprise environments for business intelligence and data analysis purposes. The vulnerability's potential to impact additional products demonstrates its cascading effect within complex enterprise infrastructures where Oracle Fusion Middleware components often interoperate with other systems. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or targeted user engagement may be necessary to achieve successful exploitation, though the core vulnerability remains accessible to network-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can result in complete access to all accessible data within the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition environment. This comprehensive access capability means that attackers can potentially view sensitive business intelligence reports, financial data, operational metrics, and other critical information that organizations rely upon for decision-making. Additionally, the vulnerability enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on certain data within the system, creating potential for data manipulation that could significantly impact business operations and decision-making processes. The confidentiality impact rating of high indicates that the vulnerability could expose sensitive business information, while the integrity impact suggests that data could be modified or corrupted, potentially leading to incorrect business decisions or operational disruptions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to the affected Oracle Business Intelligence systems, deploying appropriate firewall rules to restrict HTTP access, and ensuring that all systems are updated with the latest Oracle patches and security updates. The vulnerability's CVSS vector indicates that it requires network access with low attack complexity and no privileges, making it particularly attractive to attackers who seek to compromise enterprise systems without requiring elevated access rights. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns or unauthorized data access attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls and access management policies to reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The presence of this vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and conducting regular security assessments of enterprise middleware platforms to prevent unauthorized access to critical business intelligence systems.