CVE-2020-14657 in CRM Technical Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Preferences). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.3 and 12.2.3-12.2.9. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle CRM Technical Foundation. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle CRM Technical Foundation, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle CRM Technical Foundation accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle CRM Technical Foundation accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.6 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14657 resides within Oracle E-Business Suite's CRM Technical Foundation component, specifically within the Preferences module. This weakness affects Oracle E-Business Suite versions 12.1.3 and 12.2.3 through 12.2.9, representing a significant security gap in enterprise CRM infrastructure. The vulnerability classifies as a low-privilege attack vector that can be exploited through HTTP network connections, making it particularly concerning for organizations with exposed web services. According to CVSS 3.1 scoring, this vulnerability carries a base score of 7.6, indicating high severity with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as high while availability remains low. The attack requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting social engineering or targeted user manipulation as part of the exploitation process.
The technical flaw manifests in the Preferences component's handling of user input and session management within Oracle CRM Technical Foundation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data within the CRM system, potentially compromising all accessible data within the foundation. The impact extends beyond the immediate component, as successful exploitation can affect additional Oracle products within the suite, creating cascading security implications. The vulnerability allows for unauthorized modification capabilities including update, insert, and delete operations on data accessible through the affected system. This represents a critical compromise of data integrity and confidentiality principles, with potential for extensive data exfiltration or manipulation. The CVSS vector analysis indicates network-based exploitation with low attack complexity and requires only low privileges, while user interaction is necessary for successful compromise.
Organizations utilizing affected Oracle E-Business Suite versions face significant operational risks from this vulnerability. The combination of unauthorized data access and modification capabilities creates potential for financial fraud, competitive intelligence theft, and operational disruption. The requirement for human interaction suggests that phishing campaigns or targeted social engineering attacks could be employed to initiate exploitation, making user awareness training critical. Security teams must consider the broader impact on their enterprise environment, as this vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for further attacks across interconnected Oracle products. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions within the 12.1.3 and 12.2.3-12.2.9 release lines indicates a persistent flaw that requires immediate attention across affected deployments.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle E-Business Suite installations to the latest security updates provided by Oracle. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the CRM Technical Foundation components to untrusted networks. Regular security monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect anomalous access patterns or unauthorized modifications to CRM preferences. Organizations should implement comprehensive user authentication measures and consider multi-factor authentication for privileged CRM access. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and conducting regular security assessments can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should be performed to identify similar weaknesses in the broader Oracle E-Business Suite environment and ensure comprehensive security posture maintenance.