CVE-2018-3217 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected are 8.5.3 and 8.5.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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-2018-3217 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process various file formats. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4 of the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which serves as the primary interface for handling document processing operations within Oracle Fusion Middleware environments. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that enables unauthenticated remote attackers to compromise the targeted system through HTTP network connections, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such middleware components are extensively deployed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and processing within the Outside In Technology SDK, allowing maliciously crafted data to be processed through the vulnerable filters without proper authentication or authorization checks. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the processing pipeline and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or modify system resources. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that exploitation may involve social engineering elements or targeted user actions that trigger the vulnerable code path. The CVSS score of 7.1 reflects the high impact potential with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as high, indicating that successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all accessible data within the Oracle Outside In Technology environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3217 extends beyond simple data compromise, as the vulnerability enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against accessible data within the Oracle Outside In Technology environment. This comprehensive access capability means that attackers could not only read sensitive information but also modify or destroy critical system data, potentially causing significant business disruption. The vulnerability's exploitation requires network access via HTTP, making it particularly dangerous in environments where such services are exposed to untrusted networks. Organizations using Oracle Fusion Middleware with Outside In Technology components are at risk of data breaches, unauthorized modifications, and potential system compromise, especially when these components process documents from external sources without proper validation.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-3217 should focus on immediate patch deployment from Oracle, as the vendor has released updates to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of Oracle Outside In Technology components to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization measures when processing external documents through these components, and consider disabling unnecessary HTTP services that expose the vulnerable functionality. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and represents a significant risk under ATT&CK framework's T1211 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) techniques, as it enables attackers to leverage network protocols for unauthorized data access and modification. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in software development, particularly for components that process external data sources, as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security principles and industry best practices for secure software development lifecycle implementation.