CVE-2018-3239 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Integration Broker). 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 of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2023
The CVE-2018-3239 vulnerability represents a significant security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Integration Broker subcomponent. This vulnerability exists in PeopleTools versions 8.55 and 8.56, making it a targeted threat for organizations utilizing these specific releases. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable weakness that does not require authentication, allowing attackers to compromise the system through standard network connections using HTTP protocols. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector is straightforward and does not require advanced technical skills or specialized tools, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Integration Broker component, which serves as a critical communication layer between different PeopleSoft applications and external systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized read operations against specific data sets within the PeopleTools environment without requiring valid credentials or authentication. The vulnerability's impact is primarily focused on confidentiality as indicated by the CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.3, where the confidentiality impact is rated as low, suggesting that while sensitive data can be accessed, the scope of information compromised is limited to a subset of accessible data rather than complete system exposure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations running affected PeopleSoft versions, particularly those handling sensitive business data, financial information, or personal records. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any network-accessible system with the vulnerable component could be compromised, potentially leading to data leakage that could affect regulatory compliance, competitive positioning, and customer trust. Organizations may face potential violations of data protection regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, or other industry-specific compliance frameworks, depending on the nature of the data accessed through this vulnerability.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, where it aligns with techniques related to credential access and data extraction through network-based attacks. The vulnerability's characteristics also relate to CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and CWE-312, which covers exposure of sensitive information through partial exposure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to the Integration Broker services, applying Oracle's security patches as soon as available, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all systems running the affected PeopleTools versions and establish network monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation activities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against similar weaknesses in enterprise application environments.