CVE-2019-2705 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 as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some 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 8.2 (Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2705 affects Oracle Outside In Technology, a critical component within Oracle Fusion Middleware that serves as a suite of software development kits enabling applications to process and convert various document formats. This vulnerability specifically resides within the Outside In Filters subcomponent and impacts versions 8.5.3 and 8.5.4 of the Oracle Fusion Middleware suite. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who have network access through HTTP protocols, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such middleware components are extensively deployed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Outside In Technology processing engine, allowing maliciously crafted data to trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying code. When processed by the vulnerable component, specially constructed input can cause the system to enter an indefinite loop or crash repeatedly, leading to complete denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this weakness successfully. The flaw specifically enables unauthorized modifications to data accessible through the Outside In Technology interface, providing attackers with the capability to perform unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on sensitive information stored within the system's accessible data repositories.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential data integrity compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The CVSS score of 8.2 reflects the severity of the combined integrity and availability impacts, with the availability component receiving the highest weight due to the complete denial of service capability. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause persistent system crashes that require manual intervention to restore normal operations, potentially disrupting critical business processes that depend on document processing capabilities. The vulnerability's network-based exploitation means that it can be triggered from external networks without requiring prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the affected middleware components are exposed to untrusted networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Oracle security patches, implementing network segmentation to limit access to affected systems, and monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's relationship to CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, suggests that the underlying flaw may involve improper handling of input data that exceeds expected boundaries. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving denial of service and privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Additionally, the vulnerability's impact on data integrity means that organizations should implement robust backup and recovery procedures to protect against potential data corruption or unauthorized modifications that could occur during exploitation attempts.