CVE-2020-2947 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Absence Management). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.3 (Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2024
The CVE-2020-2947 vulnerability resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Absence Management component version 9.2, representing a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of absence management data. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms. The flaw manifests as an insufficient authorization check that permits low-privileged attackers to execute unauthorized data manipulation operations through HTTP network connections, creating a dangerous pathway for data integrity compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control enforcement within the absence management module. Attackers exploiting this weakness can perform unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against sensitive absence records, effectively compromising the integrity of employee leave and time-off data. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 4.3 reflects the moderate severity impact, with the integrity vector specifically rated as low access complexity and low privilege requirements, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it requires minimal attacker credentials to exploit successfully.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption to potentially disrupt human resources processes and employee scheduling systems. The absence management module typically handles critical employee data including vacation time, sick leave, and other absence-related information that directly affects payroll processing and workforce management. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate absence records to gain unauthorized time-off benefits or disrupt legitimate absence tracking processes, creating both financial and operational risks for organizations relying on PeopleSoft HCM systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to PeopleSoft applications, enforcing strict authentication controls, and applying the latest Oracle security patches. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage, as attackers may leverage existing low-privileged accounts to exploit this weakness. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual data modification patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and access control reviews should be conducted to ensure that the principle of least privilege is maintained across all PeopleSoft components, particularly those handling sensitive employee data. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of timely patch management and continuous monitoring of enterprise applications to prevent exploitation of known weaknesses in business-critical systems.