CVE-2020-14717 in Common Applications
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Common Applications product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: CRM User Management Framework). 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 Common Applications. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Common Applications, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Common Applications 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-2020-14717 resides within Oracle Common Applications component of the Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically within the CRM User Management Framework. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that affects Oracle E-Business Suite versions 12.1.3 and 12.2.3 through 12.2.9, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to critical business applications. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage standard network-based techniques without requiring specialized tools or extensive preparation, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems are often exposed to external networks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the CRM User Management Framework, allowing unauthenticated attackers to exploit HTTP access points to compromise the affected Oracle Common Applications. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.7 reflects the integrity impact severity, indicating that successful exploitation could enable unauthorized modification of data within the system. This vulnerability operates through a network-based attack vector requiring only low access complexity and no prior privileges, while the requirement for human interaction suggests that social engineering or user-based exploitation techniques may be necessary to achieve successful compromise. The attack's potential to impact additional products demonstrates how vulnerabilities in core applications can cascade across interconnected systems within enterprise environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns, as it enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against sensitive data within Oracle Common Applications. This capability provides attackers with substantial opportunities to manipulate customer information, user accounts, and business data that forms the foundation of enterprise operations. The CVSS vector analysis reveals that while the attack requires human interaction, the potential for significant impact across multiple products indicates that this vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for more extensive breaches. The compromise of user management frameworks particularly threatens enterprise security postures, as these systems often contain critical access controls and user provisioning information that can be leveraged for further lateral movement within networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of security patches provided by Oracle, as the vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable means that attackers are likely actively targeting systems with outdated configurations. The requirement for human interaction suggests that security awareness training should be enhanced to prevent social engineering attacks that could exploit this weakness, while network segmentation strategies should be reviewed to limit potential attack surface. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and establish incident response procedures that account for the specific threat vectors associated with this vulnerability. The security implications of CVE-2020-14717 align with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and the attack patterns correspond to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation domains, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures that address both technical controls and human factors in enterprise environments.