CVE-2020-2553 in Knowledge
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Knowledge product of Oracle Knowledge (component: Information Manager Console). Supported versions that are affected are 8.6.0-8.6.3. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Knowledge. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Knowledge accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Knowledge accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.8 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2553 affects Oracle Knowledge products, specifically within the Information Manager Console component across versions 8.6.0 through 8.6.3. This represents a significant security weakness that exposes organizations to potential unauthorized access and data manipulation risks. The vulnerability resides in the web-based console interface that administrators and users interact with to manage knowledge management systems, making it a critical attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise enterprise knowledge repositories.
This vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution flaw that can be exploited without authentication, requiring only network access via HTTP protocols. The CVSS 3.0 score of 4.8 indicates a medium severity risk with specific impacts to both confidentiality and integrity. The attack vector AV:N (network) combined with AC:H (high attack complexity) suggests that while the vulnerability is difficult to exploit, it remains accessible to skilled attackers who can leverage network-based attacks against exposed systems. The lack of privilege requirements PR:N and user interaction requirements UI:N further emphasize that this vulnerability can be exploited automatically without requiring user involvement or elevated access rights.
The security implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple data theft to include unauthorized modification capabilities within the Oracle Knowledge system. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain the ability to update, insert, or delete data within the affected system, potentially compromising the integrity of organizational knowledge bases. Additionally, the vulnerability enables unauthorized read access to specific subsets of accessible data, creating potential information disclosure risks that could expose sensitive business information, intellectual property, or proprietary knowledge stored within the knowledge management system. The impact is particularly concerning given that Oracle Knowledge systems often contain critical business documentation, technical specifications, and strategic information.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation efforts by applying the relevant Oracle Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) or security patches provided by Oracle to address this vulnerability. The implementation of network segmentation and access controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious HTTP traffic patterns and unauthorized access attempts targeting the Information Manager Console. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) categories, reflecting the fundamental weakness in access control mechanisms and potential for unauthorized data manipulation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through network services and privilege escalation through data manipulation, making it a significant concern for organizations maintaining robust security postures. The vulnerability's exposure window increases when systems are directly accessible from the internet without proper network controls, emphasizing the importance of implementing proper firewall rules and restricting access to administrative interfaces.