CVE-2018-3207 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 as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3207 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the Portal subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft Products. This security flaw affects versions 8.55 and 8.56, representing a significant risk to organizations utilizing these platforms. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this weakness without requiring specialized skills or tools, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems handle sensitive business data and processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Portal component, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain access to the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools through HTTP network connections. This represents a critical flaw in the authentication and authorization framework where the system fails to properly validate user credentials before granting access to sensitive functionalities. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate PeopleTools component as it can potentially affect additional products within the Oracle PeopleSoft ecosystem, creating a cascading security risk that organizations must address comprehensively.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability presents a dual threat to data integrity and confidentiality. Successful exploitation can enable attackers to perform unauthorized update, insert, and delete operations on PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data, while also granting unauthorized read access to specific subsets of data. This compromised state directly violates the principles of data integrity and confidentiality as outlined in the CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) classification, where inadequate access controls allow unauthorized users to perform privileged operations. The CVSS 3.0 score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of the impact, with confidentiality and integrity being the primary affected areas while availability remains relatively unaffected.
The requirement for human interaction from individuals other than the attacker suggests that this vulnerability may be exploited through social engineering tactics or by targeting specific user workflows within the PeopleSoft environment. This human factor element makes the vulnerability particularly insidious as it can bypass traditional network security controls and exploit trust relationships within the organization. The attack vector through HTTP connections indicates that organizations with exposed web services or improperly configured firewalls may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation attempts. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) clearly demonstrates that network-based attacks with low complexity and no prior privileges can succeed, while the scope change (S:C) indicates that the impact extends beyond the immediate system to potentially affect additional components within the broader PeopleSoft ecosystem.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to PeopleSoft Portal components, enforcing strict authentication controls, and applying Oracle's security patches as soon as they become available. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK matrix domains related to privilege escalation and credential access highlights the need for comprehensive monitoring of authentication attempts and user activities within PeopleSoft systems. Additionally, implementing network access controls and regular security assessments can help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors, ensuring the overall security posture of enterprise applications remains robust against evolving threat landscapes.