CVE-2019-2474 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 hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete 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 7.5 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2474 resides within Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that functions as a comprehensive suite of software development kits enabling applications to process and manipulate various document formats. This particular flaw manifests in the Outside In Filters subcomponent, which serves as the core processing engine responsible for handling file format conversions and content extraction. The vulnerability affects specifically Oracle Fusion Middleware versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4, making these releases particularly susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors seeking to disrupt service availability. The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of availability-focused attacks, as it can be leveraged to create complete denial of service conditions that result in system hangs or repeated crashes that effectively render the affected systems unusable.
The exploitation mechanism for CVE-2019-2474 operates through unauthenticated network access via HTTP protocols, presenting a significant risk to organizations that expose Oracle Fusion Middleware components directly to external networks without proper security controls. This vulnerability's ease of exploitation means that attackers can potentially compromise the system without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for environments where network exposure is unavoidable. The flaw allows attackers to send maliciously crafted requests that trigger buffer overflow conditions or other memory corruption issues within the Outside In Technology processing engine, ultimately leading to system instability and complete service disruption. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 7.5 reflects the high availability impact, with the vector indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, no required privileges, and no user interaction needed, while the score assumes direct network data processing by the vulnerable code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire enterprise document processing workflows that depend on Oracle Fusion Middleware. Organizations utilizing this technology for content management, document conversion services, or automated processing pipelines face significant risk of business interruption when exploited, as the vulnerability can cause complete system crashes that require manual intervention and system restarts. The damage is particularly severe because Outside In Technology is often embedded within larger applications and services, meaning that a single vulnerable instance can affect multiple dependent systems. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The impact assessment reveals that the CVSS score may be lower in environments where data processing occurs through non-network pathways, but the default assumption of network-based data handling makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for exposed web services. Organizations must consider both the immediate availability impact and the potential for cascading failures throughout their document processing infrastructure when evaluating the risk posed by CVE-2019-2474.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2474 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle Fusion Middleware installations to version 8.5.5 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Network-level controls including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and access control lists should be implemented to restrict direct access to Oracle Outside In Technology endpoints, particularly those exposed to untrusted networks. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization within applications that utilize Outside In Technology can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability's classification as a high-impact availability threat underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following Oracle's recommended security practices for Fusion Middleware deployments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software within the enterprise infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive protection against exploitation attempts.