CVE-2018-3219 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 and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. 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 Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3219 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a suite of software development kits designed to handle document processing and conversion tasks. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4 of the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which serves as the core processing engine for various document formats within Oracle's middleware ecosystem. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely heavily on document processing capabilities. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it with minimal technical expertise, potentially compromising entire document processing pipelines that organizations depend upon for business operations.
This security weakness manifests as a remote code execution vulnerability that operates through the HTTP protocol, allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise the affected Oracle Outside In Technology components. The technical nature of this flaw involves improper input validation within the document processing pipeline, where network-received data is passed directly to the vulnerable Outside In Technology code without adequate sanitization or validation measures. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that exploitation typically occurs through social engineering or targeted phishing campaigns where users inadvertently trigger the malicious document processing. This interaction requirement lowers the overall exploitability but does not eliminate the serious security implications, as it still enables attackers to compromise systems through legitimate user interactions with malicious content. The underlying technical mechanism aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and potentially CWE-79, which covers cross-site scripting attacks, as the vulnerability involves improper handling of external input within the processing pipeline.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3219 extends beyond simple data compromise to encompass complete system access and partial denial of service conditions. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to critical data stored within Oracle Outside In Technology accessible environments, potentially exposing sensitive business information, intellectual property, or confidential communications. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 7.1 reflects the high severity of potential confidentiality and availability impacts, with the potential for attackers to gain complete access to all data accessible through the compromised Outside In Technology components. Additionally, the vulnerability enables attackers to cause partial denial of service, which can disrupt business operations by preventing legitimate users from processing documents through the affected middleware. Organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with affected versions face significant operational risks, as the vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise and substantial business disruption. The CVSS vector analysis indicates that this vulnerability is network-accessible with low attack complexity and no authentication requirements, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to external networks without proper security controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3219 should focus on immediate patching of affected Oracle Fusion Middleware installations to versions that address the documented vulnerability in Outside In Technology. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while also deploying network monitoring solutions to detect suspicious HTTP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional protection layers against malicious document processing attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected Oracle Outside In Technology versions and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be strengthened to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed in the future. Organizations should also implement user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that may leverage this vulnerability, as the requirement for human interaction makes user awareness crucial for overall security posture. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques for defense evasion and credential access, requiring comprehensive security measures that address both technical and human factors in the overall security strategy.