CVE-2020-2796 in Email Center
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Email Center product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Message Display). Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.1-12.1.3 and 12.2.3-12.2.9. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Email Center. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Email Center, 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 Email Center accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Email Center accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/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 • 05/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2796 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Email Center, an integral component of the Oracle E-Business Suite ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically resides in the Message Display functionality and affects multiple version ranges including 12.1.1 through 12.1.3 and 12.2.3 through 12.2.9. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable weakness that permits unauthenticated attackers to compromise the targeted system through standard HTTP network connections. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this weakness effectively, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems are often accessible over networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the message display component. When processing incoming HTTP requests containing specially crafted payloads, the Oracle Email Center fails to adequately validate user input, potentially allowing malicious data to bypass intended security controls. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the system's behavior and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate Oracle Email Center component, as successful exploitation can compromise additional Oracle products within the E-Business Suite ecosystem, demonstrating the interconnected nature of enterprise software platforms. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system assigns a base score of 8.2, reflecting high severity with significant confidentiality and integrity impacts, while the vector notation AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N indicates network-based access, low attack complexity, no privilege requirements, and required human interaction.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to unauthorized access to critical data and complete system compromise. Attackers can achieve unauthorized access to all data accessible through Oracle Email Center, including sensitive email communications, customer information, and business-critical data. The vulnerability also permits unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against certain accessible data, creating potential for data corruption or manipulation. The requirement for human interaction suggests that attackers must rely on social engineering tactics to trigger the vulnerability, such as convincing users to click on malicious links or open compromised emails. This human factor component increases the attack surface and makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against in enterprise environments where user interaction is inevitable. The security implications align with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security, and the attack patterns referenced in the ATT&CK framework demonstrate how such vulnerabilities can be leveraged to establish persistent access and escalate privileges within targeted networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies focusing on network-level protections and access controls. The recommended approach includes deploying network firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and restrict HTTP traffic to Oracle Email Center components, while also implementing strict access controls and authentication mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider disabling unnecessary HTTP services and implementing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses across the entire Oracle E-Business Suite deployment. The mitigation efforts should also include user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that exploit the human interaction requirement. Patch management procedures must be established to ensure timely application of Oracle security patches and updates, particularly for the affected version ranges. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining detailed audit trails for forensic analysis and compliance requirements.