CVE-2019-2469 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. Difficult to exploit 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 hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology and unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data. 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 6.5 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2469 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that serves as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process and manipulate various file formats. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4 of the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which handles the parsing and processing of document formats including but not limited to Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, and various image formats. The flaw manifests as a buffer overflow condition that occurs when the system processes specially crafted input data through the Outside In Technology SDK, creating a dangerous attack surface for unauthenticated remote adversaries. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions and knowledge to leverage successfully, the potential impact remains severe enough to warrant immediate attention from security professionals.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through network-based HTTP access, allowing attackers to send maliciously formatted data directly to the affected Oracle Outside In Technology components. When processed by the vulnerable filters, the malformed input triggers memory corruption that can lead to either complete denial of service conditions or unauthorized data access. The CVSS score of 6.5 reflects the balance between confidentiality and availability impacts, with the availability component rated high due to the potential for system crashes and hangs that can render the affected services completely unusable. The vulnerability's susceptibility to network-based attacks without requiring authentication makes it particularly dangerous in environments where these components are exposed to external networks. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability corresponds to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient bounds checking is performed on dynamically allocated memory. The attack vector follows the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, which encompasses the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system unavailability through repeated crashes and hangs that prevent legitimate users from accessing critical services. Organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with the affected Outside In Technology versions face significant risk of operational disruption, particularly in environments where document processing is a core business function. The unauthorized read access component of the vulnerability presents additional concerns, as attackers could potentially extract sensitive data from the affected systems, though the scope of accessible data is limited to what is accessible through the Outside In Technology interface. The vulnerability's exploitation requires network access and involves sending specifically crafted data to the target system, making it somewhat challenging for casual attackers but not impossible for determined threat actors with appropriate technical knowledge. Security teams should consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their network architecture, particularly if the affected components are exposed to untrusted networks or if they handle sensitive business data. Organizations must evaluate their current exposure levels and implement appropriate mitigations to protect against potential exploitation attempts that could result in service degradation or data compromise.