CVE-2020-2954 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Candidate Gateway). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2954 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS product, specifically within the Candidate Gateway component of Oracle PeopleSoft version 9.2. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes organizations to unauthorized access and data manipulation risks. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage it without requiring specialized skills or significant resources, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where sensitive human resources data is stored and processed.
This vulnerability operates through HTTP network access and requires no authentication credentials from the attacker's perspective, which significantly lowers the barrier to exploitation. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of the threat, with particular emphasis on confidentiality and integrity impacts as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N). The vector reveals that the attack requires network access with low complexity, no privilege requirements, and human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or targeted user engagement may be necessary components of successful exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests in the Candidate Gateway component's insufficient validation of user inputs and lack of proper access controls during data processing operations. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against specific data sets within the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS system. Additionally, attackers can gain unauthorized read access to a subset of accessible data, potentially exposing sensitive employee information, recruitment data, and other human resources records. The impact extends beyond the immediate PeopleSoft system as indicated by the 'S:C' (Scope: Changed) classification, meaning successful attacks may affect additional products or systems that interact with or depend on the vulnerable HRMS platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS for their human resources management. Attackers can compromise sensitive employee data including personal identification information, salary records, performance evaluations, and recruitment candidate details. The integrity implications are particularly concerning as unauthorized modifications to HR data can lead to fraudulent activities, data corruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations. Organizations may face significant financial and reputational damage if employee data is compromised, particularly in industries subject to strict data protection regulations such as healthcare, finance, or government sectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2954 should include immediate implementation of Oracle's security patches and updates to the PeopleSoft Enterprise HRMS platform. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the vulnerable Candidate Gateway component to unauthorized network access. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns or unauthorized data modifications within their HR systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and may be exploited using techniques consistent with ATT&CK tactics such as credential access and privilege escalation. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses in other components of the PeopleSoft ecosystem. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls including web application firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and comprehensive user activity monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts against vulnerable applications.