CVE-2019-2404 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Portal). 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 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 • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2404 affects the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component within Oracle PeopleSoft Products, specifically targeting the Portal subcomponent. This security flaw exists in versions 8.55, 8.56, and 8.57 of the software, representing a significant concern for organizations utilizing these platforms. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates characteristics that align with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," as it permits unauthorized access to sensitive data through improper information handling mechanisms. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 5.3, indicating a medium severity level with a focus on confidentiality impacts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Portal subcomponent of PeopleTools. An attacker capable of sending HTTP requests to the affected system can exploit this weakness without requiring any valid credentials or prior access privileges. This unauthenticated access pathway represents a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture, as it violates the principle of least privilege and allows for unauthorized data reconnaissance. The vulnerability's exploitability classification as easily exploitable means that malicious actors can leverage common network-based attack vectors to gain access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed web services. The attack vector AV:N indicates network-based exploitation, while the low access complexity AC:L suggests minimal technical expertise is required to execute the attack successfully.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2404 extends beyond simple data theft, as the vulnerability enables unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. This compromise primarily affects the confidentiality aspect of the information security triad, potentially exposing sensitive business information, employee data, or financial records that may be stored within the PeopleSoft environment. Organizations utilizing these affected versions face risks of data leakage that could impact regulatory compliance, particularly under standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX requirements. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage highlights how attackers can leverage HTTP protocols to perform reconnaissance and data exfiltration activities. The lack of integrity and availability impacts (C:L/I:N/A:N) indicates that while the primary concern is unauthorized data access, the attack does not appear to enable modification of system data or disruption of services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches released in their January 2019 Critical Patch Update, which specifically address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to PeopleSoft Portal services only to authorized users and systems, implementing principle of least privilege access controls. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected components within their PeopleSoft environments. The remediation process should align with industry best practices for vulnerability management, including proper testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to ensure system stability. Monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to PeopleSoft Portal components, as this vulnerability could serve as an initial access point for more sophisticated attacks in a broader attack chain.