CVE-2020-14592 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Rich Text Editor). Supported versions that are affected are 8.56, 8.57 and 8.58. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14592 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product, specifically within the Rich Text Editor component that forms part of Oracle PeopleSoft's broader enterprise software ecosystem. This weakness affects versions 8.56, 8.57, and 8.58, representing a significant security gap that impacts organizations utilizing these PeopleSoft releases. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it with minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where PeopleSoft systems handle sensitive business data and processes.
The technical flaw manifests as a security weakness that permits unauthenticated network access through HTTP protocols, allowing attackers to compromise the PeopleTools environment without requiring valid credentials. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as a weakness related to insufficient authentication mechanisms and potentially inadequate input validation within web-based interfaces. The attack vector requires network access from an external source, meaning that systems exposed to the internet without proper network segmentation or firewall controls become vulnerable to exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate PeopleTools component to potentially affect additional Oracle products within the enterprise ecosystem, creating a cascading risk scenario. Successful exploitation enables attackers to perform unauthorized data manipulation activities including updates, inserts, and deletes against accessible PeopleTools data repositories. Additionally, the vulnerability permits unauthorized read access to sensitive data subsets, potentially exposing confidential business information, employee records, or financial data that organizations rely on for operational integrity. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of the impact, with confidentiality and integrity being compromised while availability remains relatively unaffected. This vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques involving credential theft, privilege escalation, and data manipulation within web applications.
The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that the exploitation may involve social engineering elements or targeted user actions that facilitate access. This characteristic indicates that organizations should implement comprehensive security awareness training programs alongside technical controls to mitigate the risk of successful exploitation. The vulnerability's impact on data integrity and confidentiality creates potential business disruption scenarios that could affect regulatory compliance, financial reporting accuracy, and overall operational trust in the PeopleSoft environment. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also reviewing access controls and user permissions to minimize the potential damage from successful attacks.