CVE-2018-3262 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Stylesheet). Supported versions that are affected are 8.55, 8.56 and 8.57. 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. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.7 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3262 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component, specifically within the Stylesheet subcomponent of Oracle PeopleSoft Products. This security flaw affects versions 8.55, 8.56, and 8.57, representing a significant risk to organizations utilizing these legacy systems. The vulnerability operates through HTTP network access and requires minimal privileges for exploitation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by unauthenticated attackers without requiring any prior access credentials or elevated privileges. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability with a base score of 4.7, categorizing it as having moderate severity with integrity impacts, while the vector notation AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N indicates network accessibility, low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, user interaction needed, and cross-product impact. This assessment places the vulnerability squarely within the realm of CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories, reflecting both the exposure of sensitive data and inadequate access controls that allow unauthorized modifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the stylesheet processing functionality of PeopleTools, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. When users interact with the affected PeopleSoft applications through HTTP requests, the system's stylesheet handling mechanism becomes susceptible to manipulation that can lead to unauthorized data modification operations. The requirement for human interaction suggests that the exploitation may involve social engineering elements or targeted phishing attacks where users are诱导 to perform specific actions that trigger the vulnerable code path. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the ATT&CK framework under the T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) techniques, as attackers must first gain user trust to execute malicious payloads. The cross-product impact designation indicates that successful exploitation can affect not only the primary PeopleTools component but also potentially compromise other integrated systems within the PeopleSoft ecosystem, creating cascading security implications that extend beyond the immediate target.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data integrity concerns, as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on sensitive data within the PeopleSoft environment. This capability represents a direct threat to the organization's data integrity and can result in financial losses, regulatory compliance violations, and operational disruptions. The vulnerability's ability to compromise data modification operations aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1484 (Data Manipulation) and falls under the broader category of data integrity attacks that can undermine business processes and decision-making systems. Organizations utilizing PeopleSoft systems may experience significant business continuity issues if attackers successfully exploit this vulnerability, as the compromised data can affect payroll processing, financial reporting, human resources management, and other critical business functions. The low attack complexity and network accessibility characteristics mean that this vulnerability can be exploited by threat actors with minimal technical expertise, increasing the overall risk profile and making it an attractive target for both opportunistic and organized attackers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3262 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems, with organizations prioritizing the deployment of Oracle's security patches released for versions 8.55, 8.56, and 8.57. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of PeopleSoft applications to untrusted networks, while monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous stylesheet processing activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security awareness training programs should be enhanced to educate users about recognizing potentially malicious interactions that could trigger this vulnerability, particularly focusing on the human interaction requirement. Organizations should also implement robust data backup and recovery procedures, as the vulnerability's data modification capabilities could result in significant data loss or corruption. The remediation approach should align with industry best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 frameworks, emphasizing both technical controls and administrative procedures to address the vulnerability's multi-faceted nature. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their PeopleSoft ecosystem and ensure comprehensive coverage of all related components to prevent exploitation through alternative attack vectors.