CVE-2019-2771 in BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher)
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher) component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: BI Publisher Security). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1.9.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher). Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher), attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher) accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher) accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of BI Publisher (formerly XML Publisher). CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2771 resides within the BI Publisher component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, formerly known as XML Publisher, representing a critical security flaw in the BI Publisher Security subcomponent. This vulnerability affects specifically version 11.1.1.9.0 and 12.2.1.3.0 of the Oracle Fusion Middleware suite, making it a targeted threat for organizations utilizing these particular releases. The flaw operates through the HTTP protocol interface, allowing attackers with minimal privileges to gain unauthorized access to the system's critical data and functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and authentication mechanisms within the BI Publisher component, creating an avenue for privilege escalation attacks. The CVSS score of 8.2 reflects the severity of impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, with a low attack complexity and requiring only low privileges for exploitation. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, indicating that social engineering or user manipulation might be necessary to achieve successful compromise, though the actual exploitation can occur through network-based attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2771 extends beyond the immediate BI Publisher component, potentially affecting additional Oracle products within the Fusion Middleware ecosystem. Attackers can achieve unauthorized creation, deletion, or modification of critical data within the system, while also gaining unauthorized read access to sensitive information. The partial denial of service component of this vulnerability can disrupt business operations and compromise the availability of essential reporting and publishing functionalities that organizations rely upon for decision-making processes.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and potentially CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) depending on the specific implementation details. The attack pattern demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) within the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, implementing network segmentation, and strengthening access controls. Additional defensive measures should encompass monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, restricting HTTP access to the BI Publisher component, and conducting thorough security assessments of the entire Fusion Middleware environment to identify potential secondary impacts of this vulnerability.