CVE-2020-2775 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Portal). Supported versions that are affected are 8.56, 8.57 and 8.58. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 5.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2775 resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Portal component of the PeopleSoft suite. This security flaw impacts versions 8.56, 8.57, and 8.58, representing a significant concern for organizations utilizing these software versions. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it allows unauthorized individuals to gain access to sensitive information without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the PeopleTools Portal component, creating an entry point that enables network-based attackers to exploit the system through HTTP connections. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 5.3, classified as a medium severity issue with confidentiality impacts. The attack vector is classified as network-based (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) and no prerequisites (PR:N), meaning that an attacker requires no special privileges or user interaction to exploit this weakness. The vulnerability's impact is limited to unauthorized read access to a subset of accessible data rather than full system compromise or data modification capabilities.
Organizations running affected versions of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools face significant operational risks from this vulnerability, as it could potentially expose sensitive business data to unauthorized parties. The unauthorized read access capability means that attackers could gain visibility into confidential information stored within the PeopleTools environment, potentially including employee records, financial data, or proprietary business information. This exposure creates compliance risks for organizations subject to data protection regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX requirements, where unauthorized data access could result in substantial financial penalties and reputational damage.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2020-2775 primarily involves applying the official Oracle security patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network-level controls such as firewalls and access control lists to restrict HTTP access to PeopleTools Portal components where possible. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough network segmentation to limit the attack surface and implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems and regularly review access logs for suspicious activities. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) indicates that attackers may use these methods to probe for vulnerable systems and establish initial access points within the network infrastructure.