CVE-2021-2005 in Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 01/20/2021
Vulnerability in the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: BI Platform Security). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.7 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2005 resides within Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition's BI Platform Security component, specifically affecting versions 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This security flaw represents a significant concern for organizations utilizing Oracle's business intelligence platform, as it creates an attack vector that can be exploited without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is inevitable. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise to leverage this weakness, while the CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.7 reflects the moderate severity of potential confidentiality impacts. The attack vector requires network access via HTTP, suggesting that organizations with exposed web services or application servers may be at risk, particularly when these systems lack proper network segmentation or access controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the BI Platform Security component, allowing unauthenticated attackers to access certain data within the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition environment. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker indicates that social engineering or targeted user engagement may be necessary to complete the exploitation process, potentially involving phishing campaigns or other forms of user manipulation to facilitate access. This aspect of the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics that manipulate individuals into performing actions that compromise security. The attack's potential to impact additional products demonstrates the interconnected nature of Oracle Fusion Middleware components and suggests that successful exploitation could create cascading effects throughout an organization's technology stack, potentially compromising other systems that rely on or integrate with the affected platform.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-2005 extends beyond simple data exposure, as unauthorized read access to a subset of accessible data could compromise sensitive business intelligence, financial reports, operational metrics, and strategic planning information. Organizations relying on Oracle Business Intelligence for critical decision-making processes face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited, as attackers could gain insights into competitive positioning, market strategies, or internal operations that could be leveraged for financial gain or competitive advantage. The confidentiality impact rating of CVSS 3.1 indicates that while the vulnerability does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, it creates substantial risk for data leakage that could undermine business operations and competitive positioning. The potential for significant impact on additional products suggests that organizations may need to conduct comprehensive security assessments across their entire Oracle Fusion Middleware ecosystem to identify potential secondary effects of exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-2005 should prioritize immediate patch management and configuration hardening measures to protect against unauthorized access to Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to exposed web services and ensure that only authorized users can access the affected components. The implementation of web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns associated with exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough access control reviews to ensure that user permissions are properly configured and that unnecessary access paths are eliminated from the platform. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability relates to CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms to strengthen their security posture. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar authentication weaknesses in other Oracle Fusion Middleware components and ensure that the organization maintains a robust security framework that can defend against evolving threat landscapes. The vulnerability's characteristics also suggest that organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure they can effectively detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts targeting their business intelligence platforms.