CVE-2020-14764 in Hyperion Planning
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2020
Vulnerability in the Hyperion Planning product of Oracle Hyperion (component: Application Development Framework). The supported version that is affected is 11.1.2.4. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Hyperion Planning. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized creation, deletion or modification access to critical data or all Hyperion Planning accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.2 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14764 resides within Oracle Hyperion Planning's Application Development Framework component, specifically affecting version 11.1.2.4. This represents a significant security weakness that targets the integrity controls of the Hyperion Planning system, which is widely used for financial planning and analysis within enterprise environments. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions to be successfully leveraged, the potential impact on organizational data integrity is substantial. The attack vector through HTTP connections means that malicious actors could potentially compromise systems remotely, though the requirement for human interaction suggests that social engineering or targeted user engagement would be necessary to complete the attack chain. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and reflects the broader category of privilege escalation vulnerabilities that pose significant risks to enterprise data systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as an integrity-focused weakness that allows high-privileged attackers with network access to perform unauthorized modifications to critical data within the Hyperion Planning environment. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.2 reflects the moderate severity of the integrity impact, though the potential for unauthorized data modification, deletion, or creation access represents a serious threat to financial data integrity and business continuity. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, which typically indicates that the attack may involve phishing, social engineering, or targeted user manipulation to gain initial access or to complete the exploitation process. This requirement for human interaction reduces the automated attack surface but does not eliminate the threat, as social engineering remains a persistent and effective attack vector in enterprise environments. The system's architecture and the nature of Hyperion Planning's financial data processing make this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations that rely heavily on accurate and secure financial planning systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-14764 extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to potentially compromise the entire financial planning and reporting capabilities of affected organizations. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized modifications of critical financial data, which would directly impact decision-making processes, regulatory compliance, and financial reporting accuracy. The vulnerability's potential to affect all Hyperion Planning accessible data means that the scope of impact could be extensive, potentially affecting multiple business units or departments that depend on the system. Organizations using this version of Hyperion Planning may face significant operational disruption if this vulnerability is successfully exploited, particularly in environments where financial data integrity is paramount for regulatory compliance or business operations. The requirement for human interaction suggests that organizations may need to implement additional user awareness training and monitoring protocols to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing layered security controls, as it represents a gap in the security posture that could be exploited to undermine the integrity of critical business data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-14764 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term security improvements. Organizations should prioritize applying the relevant Oracle security patches and updates that address this specific vulnerability, as these updates typically contain fixes for the underlying access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized data modification. Network-level controls including firewalls, web application firewalls, and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing user access controls and monitoring for unusual data modification activities can help detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability. The security posture should include regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar weaknesses in the Hyperion Planning environment. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training programs to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could exploit the human interaction requirement. This vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which addresses valid accounts and privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive account management and monitoring strategies to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems. The remediation process should also include reviewing and strengthening the overall security configuration of the Hyperion Planning environment to prevent similar vulnerabilities from existing in other components or versions of the software.