CVE-2019-2443 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: XML Publisher). Supported versions that are affected are 8.55, 8.56 and 8.57. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2443 affects the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools component within Oracle PeopleSoft Products, specifically targeting the XML Publisher subcomponent. This weakness exists in versions 8.55, 8.56, and 8.57, representing a significant security risk for organizations utilizing these software versions. The vulnerability operates within the broader context of enterprise application security where PeopleSoft serves as a critical business process platform for financial and human resources management. The affected component processes XML Publisher requests which are essential for generating reports and documents within the PeopleSoft environment, making this a particularly concerning flaw given its potential to impact core business operations.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient input validation mechanism within the XML Publisher functionality that fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. This weakness creates an avenue for privilege escalation attacks where an authenticated attacker with high privileges can exploit the vulnerability through HTTP network access. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector requires minimal technical sophistication and can be leveraged by threat actors with relatively basic skills. The underlying mechanism likely involves improper handling of XML data structures or parameter validation that allows malicious input to bypass security controls and execute unauthorized operations within the application context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as successful exploitation can lead to complete takeover of the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools environment. This represents a severe availability, integrity, and confidentiality breach that could disrupt business processes and expose sensitive organizational data. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.2 indicates a high severity threat that could result in significant business disruption and potential financial losses. Organizations relying on PeopleSoft for critical business functions face substantial risk if this vulnerability remains unpatched, as attackers could gain full administrative control over the platform and potentially move laterally within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch application from Oracle to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft components and enforce strict access controls for users with high privileges. The principle of least privilege should be enforced across all PeopleSoft environments, ensuring that users only have access to the specific functions necessary for their roles. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns or unusual XML Publisher activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting PeopleSoft components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1499 for network infiltration, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat landscape surrounding enterprise application vulnerabilities.