CVE-2019-2901 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected is 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 update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data and 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 7.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2901 affects Oracle Outside In Technology, a comprehensive suite of software development kits within Oracle Fusion Middleware that provides document processing capabilities for various applications. This specific flaw resides in the Outside In Filters component of version 8.5.4, which serves as a critical middleware element for handling document conversions and processing operations. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who gain network access through HTTP protocols, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such services are commonly exposed to external networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and processing within the Outside In Technology filters, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that can manipulate the underlying document processing engine. This flaw operates at the protocol level where network data is passed directly to the vulnerable code components, creating opportunities for unauthorized data manipulation and access. The vulnerability's exploitability is classified as easily accessible due to the lack of authentication requirements and the straightforward network-based attack vector through HTTP connections. Security researchers have identified that the CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.3 reflects the severity of potential impacts including confidentiality, integrity, and availability breaches, with the attack vector being network-based (AV:N) and requiring low access complexity (AC:L) with no privileges required (PR:N).
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2901 extends beyond simple data compromise to encompass comprehensive system integrity threats that can affect the entire document processing infrastructure. Attackers can achieve unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against accessible data within the Oracle Outside In Technology environment, potentially leading to data corruption or manipulation of critical business documents. Additionally, the vulnerability enables unauthorized read access to sensitive data subsets, which could expose confidential information processed through the affected systems. The partial denial of service aspect represents a significant availability threat that can disrupt document processing workflows and impact business operations. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation" and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1210, "Exploitation of Remote Services," demonstrating how network-based attacks can leverage insecure document processing components.
Organizations utilizing Oracle Outside In Technology should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to affected systems, deployment of web application firewalls to filter malicious requests, and implementation of strict input validation controls for all data processing operations. The most effective long-term solution involves applying Oracle's official security patches and updates to upgrade to versions that address the specific input validation flaws in the Outside In Filters component. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. Given the CVSS vector characteristics and the potential for widespread impact across enterprise document processing systems, organizations should prioritize this vulnerability in their security remediation schedules and consider implementing additional security controls such as intrusion detection systems and regular security audits to prevent unauthorized access to document processing infrastructure.