CVE-2020-14723 in Help Technologies
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Help Technologies product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Web UIX). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1.9.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Help Technologies. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Help Technologies, 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 Help Technologies accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Help Technologies accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2020
CVE-2020-14723 represents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability within Oracle Help Technologies component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, specifically affecting versions 11.1.1.9.0 and 12.2.1.3.0. This vulnerability resides in the Web UIX component and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's authentication mechanisms that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and system functionalities. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this weakness without requiring specialized tools or extensive technical knowledge, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems may be exposed to external networks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper authentication checks within the Oracle Help Technologies framework, which enables attackers to bypass the standard authentication process through HTTP connections. This flaw allows for unauthorized access to critical data and complete access to all accessible data within the Oracle Help Technologies system. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.2 reflects the severity of impact, with high confidentiality and low integrity implications, suggesting that while the primary concern is data exposure, there is also potential for data modification. The vulnerability requires network access via HTTP and human interaction from users other than the attacker, indicating that social engineering or user interaction may be necessary to complete the attack vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate Oracle Help Technologies component, as successful exploitation can potentially affect additional Oracle products within the same ecosystem. This cascading effect demonstrates how vulnerabilities in one component can compromise broader enterprise systems and highlights the interconnected nature of Oracle Fusion Middleware products. Organizations running affected versions face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive business data, potential data manipulation, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability's ability to enable unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against accessible data creates additional concerns for data integrity and system reliability.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1190 technique for Exploit Public-Facing Application, and the CWE-287 category for Improper Authentication. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches, restricting network access to affected systems, and monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns. The vulnerability's classification as requiring human interaction suggests that user education and awareness programs should be enhanced to prevent social engineering attacks that could exploit this weakness. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit potential attack surfaces and reduce the impact of successful exploitation attempts.