CVE-2021-2064 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE • 01/20/2021
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core Components). The supported version that is affected is 12.1.3.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via IIOP, T3 to compromise Oracle WebLogic Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle WebLogic Server. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 9.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2064 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle WebLogic Server version 12.1.3.0.0, specifically within the Core Components module of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms that permit unauthorized network access through IIOP (Internet Inter-Orb Protocol) and T3 (WebLogic T3 Protocol) communication channels. The flaw operates at the network level, allowing attackers to establish connections without proper credential verification, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where WebLogic Server typically serves as a critical middleware component for business applications. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal technical expertise or resources to successfully compromise affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the WebLogic Server's core components, where the IIOP and T3 protocols fail to properly validate incoming connection requests. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish malicious connections and potentially execute arbitrary code on the target server. The underlying flaw aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices where protocol-level security controls should enforce strict authentication requirements. The vulnerability's impact extends across all three fundamental security principles as defined by the CVSS scoring system, with high scores for confidentiality, integrity, and availability, indicating that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-2064 is severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to complete system takeover and unauthorized access to enterprise applications and data. Organizations running affected WebLogic Server versions face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's CVSS score of 9.8 places it in the critical severity category, requiring immediate attention from security teams. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1190, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in remote services, and T1071.004, focusing on application layer protocols. The compromise of WebLogic Server can result in cascading effects throughout enterprise networks, as this middleware often serves as a central hub for business-critical applications and data integration services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Oracle's security patches and updates, disabling unnecessary network services, and implementing network segmentation controls to limit access to WebLogic Server instances. The recommended approach involves configuring firewall rules to restrict access to IIOP and T3 ports, implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious connection patterns, and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems and regularly monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability's nature suggests that defense in depth strategies should include authentication hardening, regular security audits, and maintaining current threat intelligence to detect potential exploitation attempts. Compliance with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 becomes critical when addressing this vulnerability, as proper access controls and authentication mechanisms are fundamental requirements for maintaining information system security.