CVE-2019-2480 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-2019-2480 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 handling document conversions and file parsing operations. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers without requiring any special privileges or authentication credentials. The attack vector utilizes HTTP network protocols, making it accessible to threat actors who can remotely target systems utilizing this technology. According to the CVSS 3.0 scoring system, this vulnerability carries a base score of 5.3, classified as a medium severity issue with availability impact, specifically categorized under CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L, indicating network-based exploitation with low attack complexity and no user interaction required.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Outside In Technology processing engine, which fails to properly handle malformed or specially crafted data streams. When the system receives network-based data and passes it directly to the Outside In Technology code for processing, the vulnerability manifests as a partial denial of service condition. This occurs because the processing engine does not adequately sanitize input parameters, allowing malicious data to cause the system to consume excessive resources or enter an unstable state. The flaw essentially creates a condition where an attacker can send specifically crafted requests that trigger resource exhaustion or processing errors within the Outside In Technology components. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the core functionality of document processing within Oracle Fusion Middleware, potentially disrupting business operations that rely heavily on document conversion and file handling capabilities.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely impact business continuity and operational efficiency for organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware. When exploited successfully, the partial denial of service condition can cause significant delays in document processing workflows, leading to cascading effects throughout enterprise applications that depend on these capabilities. Organizations using this technology for critical business processes such as document management, content processing, or automated workflow systems may experience substantial operational degradation. The vulnerability's ability to affect systems without requiring authentication makes it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is unavoidable. The CVSS scoring system acknowledges that the severity assessment assumes direct network data handling by the Outside In Technology code, but the actual impact may vary depending on how applications integrate with this technology. In scenarios where applications filter or process data through multiple layers before reaching the Outside In Technology components, the effective CVSS score may be reduced, though the underlying vulnerability remains present.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, beginning with applying Oracle's official security patches and updates as released through their support channels. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of systems utilizing Outside In Technology to only trusted networks and authorized users. Implementing proper input validation at application layers can help reduce the attack surface by sanitizing data before it reaches the vulnerable processing components. Monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems and applications that utilize Oracle Outside In Technology components, ensuring comprehensive coverage of potential attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation," and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" within the context of availability impact. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other middleware components that may share similar architectural patterns with the affected Outside In Technology suite.