CVE-2021-2400 in BI Publisher
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2021
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: E-Business Suite - XDO). Supported versions that are affected are 5.5.0.0.0, 11.1.1.9.0, 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 BI Publisher. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle BI Publisher accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.5 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2400 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle BI Publisher, specifically within the E-Business Suite XDO component of Oracle Fusion Middleware. This vulnerability affects multiple version streams including 5.5.0.0.0, 11.1.1.9.0, 12.2.1.3.0, and 12.2.1.4.0, indicating a widespread impact across the product's lifecycle. The vulnerability resides in the web-based interface of the BI Publisher system, making it accessible through standard HTTP protocols which significantly expands the attack surface and potential exploitation vectors. The CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the high severity of this flaw, with the primary concern centered on confidentiality impacts as attackers can potentially access critical data or achieve complete access to all accessible data within the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Oracle BI Publisher web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring any prior authentication credentials or privileged access, making the attack vector particularly dangerous as it requires minimal prerequisites for successful exploitation. The vulnerability allows for unauthenticated access to the system's data repository through network-based HTTP connections, effectively bypassing the normal access control mechanisms that should protect sensitive business intelligence data. This flaw essentially creates a backdoor that enables attackers to directly interface with the underlying data structures without proper authorization, potentially exposing sensitive enterprise information including financial data, operational metrics, and business intelligence reports that organizations rely upon for decision making.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of enterprise data within Oracle Fusion Middleware environments. Organizations utilizing affected versions of BI Publisher face significant risks including unauthorized data access, potential data exfiltration, and exposure of sensitive business information that could impact competitive positioning and regulatory compliance. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation means that threat actors can quickly identify and target affected systems without requiring specialized tools or extensive reconnaissance. The lack of user interaction requirements and the ability to exploit the vulnerability from network-based access points make this particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such systems may be exposed to external networks or where insufficient network segmentation exists.
Security mitigations for CVE-2021-2400 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to address the authentication bypass vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation strategies to isolate BI Publisher components from external network access where possible, limiting the exposure of these systems to untrusted networks. Additional protective measures include implementing robust web application firewalls, monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP requests targeting BI Publisher interfaces, and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected components within the Oracle Fusion Middleware ecosystem. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category T1190 for exploit public-facing application, emphasizing the need for immediate remediation and enhanced network security controls to prevent unauthorized access to enterprise business intelligence systems.