CVE-2018-3235 in E-Business Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Applications Manager component of Oracle E-Business Suite (subcomponent: None). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6 and 12.2.7. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Applications Manager. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Applications Manager, 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 Applications Manager accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Applications Manager 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 • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3235 resides within the Oracle Applications Manager component of Oracle E-Business Suite, representing a significant security weakness that affects multiple version releases including 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.2.4, 12.2.5, 12.2.6, and 12.2.7. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the web-based interface of Oracle Applications Manager, making it accessible through standard HTTP network protocols. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage relatively straightforward techniques to gain unauthorized access without requiring specialized tools or extensive technical knowledge. The attack vector requires only network access via HTTP, eliminating the need for complex infrastructure setup or privileged access to the target system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within Oracle Applications Manager, allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise the system through network-based HTTP connections. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability at 8.2, reflecting high severity with significant impacts to confidentiality and integrity. The vulnerability's characteristics include a low attack complexity score of L, indicating minimal technical skill requirements, and a high confidentiality impact score of H, suggesting that successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to critical data within the Oracle Applications Manager environment. The integrity impact score of L indicates that while data modification capabilities may exist, the primary concern focuses on data confidentiality breaches. The security context of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects the entire Oracle E-Business Suite ecosystem, meaning that successful exploitation could potentially extend beyond the immediate Oracle Applications Manager component to impact additional Oracle products within the same environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3235 extends far beyond the immediate compromise of Oracle Applications Manager, as the vulnerability's potential to significantly impact additional products makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. Organizations utilizing Oracle E-Business Suite face the risk of complete data compromise, including unauthorized access to sensitive business information, financial records, and operational data. The vulnerability's ability to provide unauthorized update, insert, or delete access to Oracle Applications Manager accessible data creates substantial risk for data integrity and business continuity. Attackers could potentially modify critical business processes, alter financial transactions, or manipulate operational workflows that depend on Oracle Applications Manager functionality. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or user manipulation might be involved in successful exploitation attempts, though the core vulnerability remains accessible through network-based attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to Oracle Applications Manager interfaces, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and implementation of robust authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's CVSS vector indicates that while it requires human interaction, the low attack complexity and high confidentiality impact make it particularly attractive to threat actors. Security teams should prioritize patching affected Oracle E-Business Suite installations to address the authentication weakness in Oracle Applications Manager, while also implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a significant concern from an ATT&CK perspective as it enables initial access and privilege escalation within enterprise environments. Organizations should also consider implementing least-privilege access controls and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their Oracle E-Business Suite deployments.