CVE-2020-14659 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 unauthenticated 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 update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle CRM Technical Foundation accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.7 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14659 resides within the Oracle CRM Technical Foundation component of Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically affecting the Preferences functionality. This issue manifests in versions 12.1.3 and 12.2.3 through 12.2.9, representing a significant security weakness that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this flaw, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems are often accessible over networks. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7 reflects the integrity impact severity, placing this vulnerability in the medium severity category according to industry standards.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the Preferences component of Oracle CRM Technical Foundation. Attackers can exploit this weakness through HTTP network connections without requiring authentication credentials, which means that any individual with network access to the affected system can potentially execute malicious actions. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that the exploitation may involve social engineering elements where end users inadvertently trigger the malicious code or navigate to compromised pages. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation for persistence through user interaction. The attack vector AV:N indicates network-based exploitation, while the low attack complexity AC:L suggests that the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate scope of Oracle CRM Technical Foundation, as successful exploitation can compromise additional products within the Oracle E-Business Suite ecosystem. This cascading effect represents a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on integrated enterprise applications, where a single vulnerability can potentially compromise multiple interconnected systems. The vulnerability enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against data within the affected component, which can result in data corruption, information disclosure, or operational disruption. Organizations may experience unauthorized modifications to critical business data, potentially affecting customer records, preferences, or other sensitive information stored within the CRM system. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N indicates that while the attack requires user interaction, the impact on integrity is rated as low to moderate, though the scope expansion S:C suggests that the compromise can affect multiple products within the suite.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-14659 should focus on immediate patch management and network security controls. Organizations must prioritize applying Oracle's security patches and updates as soon as they become available, as this vulnerability has been classified as easily exploitable. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the affected components to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts before they succeed. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, making it essential for security teams to review and strengthen access control mechanisms within their Oracle E-Business Suite implementations. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses that may exist within the broader Oracle ecosystem and other enterprise applications.