CVE-2021-2008 in Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE • 04/23/2021
Vulnerability in the Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware product of Oracle Enterprise Manager (component: FMW Control Plugin). The supported version that is affected are 11.1.1.9 and 12.2.1.3 Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2008 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Enterprise Manager for Fusion Middleware, specifically affecting the FMW Control Plugin component. This vulnerability exists in two supported versions: 11.1.1.9 and 12.2.1.3, making it particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of these enterprise middleware solutions. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable security weakness that fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the affected system, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on Oracle's enterprise management infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the FMW Control Plugin, allowing unauthenticated attackers to establish network connections via HTTP protocols and exploit the system without requiring valid credentials. This weakness directly maps to CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls. The vulnerability's exploitability is heightened by its network-based nature, meaning attackers can target the system from remote locations without physical access or prior authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating a comprehensive threat landscape that affects all three pillars of information security. Attackers can achieve unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against sensitive data within the Enterprise Manager environment, effectively compromising data integrity and potentially enabling malicious modifications to critical system configurations. Additionally, the vulnerability permits unauthorized read access to specific subsets of accessible data, creating a significant confidentiality breach that could expose sensitive enterprise information. The partial denial of service component further amplifies the threat, as attackers can disrupt system availability and potentially impact business operations.
Organizations facing this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to the affected components, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and implementation of robust access controls that enforce proper authentication mechanisms. The CVSS 3.1 scoring of 7.3 indicates a high-severity threat that requires urgent attention, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L demonstrating the vulnerability's ease of exploitation and broad impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers Exploit Public-Facing Application, making it particularly relevant for security teams implementing defensive strategies against externally accessible enterprise applications.