CVE-2020-2791 in Knowledge
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Knowledge product of Oracle Knowledge (component: Information Manager Console). Supported versions that are affected are 8.6.0-8.6.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Knowledge. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Knowledge. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 9.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2791 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Knowledge's Information Manager Console component affecting versions 8.6.0 through 8.6.2. This weakness resides in the product's handling of HTTP requests and demonstrates a severe lack of authentication mechanisms that allows unauthorized access to critical system functions. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage common network-based attack vectors without requiring specialized skills or privileged access to execute successful attacks against affected systems.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from insufficient input validation and authentication controls within the Information Manager Console interface. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted HTTP requests directly to the affected Oracle Knowledge server without requiring any prior authentication credentials. This unauthenticated access creates a pathway for malicious actors to gain complete control over the vulnerable system, effectively allowing them to execute arbitrary code and manipulate the underlying knowledge management infrastructure. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.0 score of 9.8 reflects the high severity of impact across all three core security principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-2791 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass full system compromise and potential data exfiltration. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can achieve complete takeover of the Oracle Knowledge environment, enabling them to access sensitive information stored within the knowledge base, modify or delete critical data, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point for attacking other networked systems. This type of vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles and can result in significant business disruption, regulatory compliance violations, and financial losses. The impact is particularly severe given that Oracle Knowledge systems often contain proprietary information, intellectual property, and sensitive organizational data.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to Oracle Knowledge servers, deployment of web application firewalls to filter malicious HTTP requests, and application-level controls to enforce proper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as defined in cybersecurity frameworks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through network service exploitation and privilege escalation, making it a critical target for immediate remediation efforts. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing comprehensive monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's ease of exploitation makes it an attractive target for automated attack tools and malicious actors seeking to compromise enterprise knowledge management systems.