CVE-2019-2590 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager component of Oracle PeopleSoft Products (subcomponent: Job Opening). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-2590 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Talent Acquisition Manager, specifically affecting the Job Opening subcomponent in version 9.2. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-287, which deals with improper authentication mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through unauthenticated network connections. The flaw exists in the web application layer of the PeopleSoft platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system without requiring valid credentials or prior access rights.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication controls within the Job Opening functionality of the Talent Acquisition Manager. Attackers can leverage this weakness through standard HTTP network connections without needing authentication credentials, making the exploit particularly dangerous as it requires minimal initial access privileges. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 8.2 reflects its high severity, with a base score indicating high confidentiality impact and low integrity impact, suggesting that while data theft is the primary concern, modifications to data integrity are also possible. The attack vector AV:N indicates network-based exploitation, while AC:L shows that the attack requires minimal technical expertise to execute successfully.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate Talent Acquisition Manager component to potentially affect broader PeopleSoft Enterprise systems. This cascading effect aligns with ATT&CK technique T1082 for system information discovery and T1046 for network service scanning, as attackers may use this initial compromise to map the entire enterprise environment. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive employee data, job posting information, and candidate records, potentially resulting in data breaches that could compromise recruitment processes and violate privacy regulations. The ability to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletes within the system creates additional risks for data integrity and operational continuity, particularly in high-volume recruitment environments where accurate job information is critical.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft applications, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and implementation of strict access controls for the Talent Acquisition Manager components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security assessments and patch management processes, as highlighted in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework under the Protect function. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough network monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns and implement robust audit trails for all database operations within the PeopleSoft environment to ensure rapid detection of unauthorized activities. The exploitation of this vulnerability underscores the need for comprehensive security awareness training for system administrators and developers to recognize potential attack vectors and maintain proper system hardening practices.