CVE-2019-2459 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). Supported versions that are affected are 8.5.3 and 8.5.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2459 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process various file formats. This specific flaw affects versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4 of the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which serves as the core processing engine for document conversion and content extraction tasks. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers without requiring any privileged access or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where network exposure is common.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Outside In Technology processing pipeline, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests that trigger abnormal processing behavior. This flaw operates at the protocol level where network data flows directly into the vulnerable code path, allowing attackers to manipulate the processing logic through carefully constructed input parameters. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack surface requires minimal technical expertise or resources to successfully compromise the target system, which aligns with the CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.3 representing a moderate severity threat with availability impact.
From an operational standpoint, successful exploitation of CVE-2019-2459 can result in partial denial of service conditions that significantly impact the availability of the affected Oracle Outside In Technology services. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the underlying processing capabilities that many enterprise applications depend upon for document handling, content management, and data extraction tasks. Organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with these vulnerable versions face potential disruptions to business operations, as the partial denial of service can render critical document processing functions unavailable, leading to operational delays and reduced productivity. The vulnerability's network-based attack vector means that systems exposed to the internet or internal networks without proper segmentation are at heightened risk of exploitation.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, where it aligns with CWE-20, representing improper input validation, and CWE-119, indicating insufficient restriction of operations within a limited scope. The attack pattern corresponds to the ATT&CK technique T1210, which involves exploitation of remote services through network-based attacks. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected Oracle Fusion Middleware installations to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation controls to limit access to affected systems, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns, and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should consider disabling unnecessary HTTP services and implementing strict access controls to reduce the attack surface available to potential adversaries. The CVSS scoring model indicates that the actual risk may vary depending on the specific implementation and data handling practices within each organization's environment, emphasizing the need for comprehensive risk assessment and tailored mitigation approaches.