CVE-2021-2458 in Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2021
Vulnerability in the Identity Manager product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Identity Console). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.2.2.0, 11.1.2.3.0, 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Identity Manager. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Identity Manager, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Identity Manager accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Identity Manager accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.6 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-2458 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Fusion Middleware's Identity Manager product, specifically affecting the Identity Console component. This vulnerability exists in multiple supported versions including 11.1.2.2.0, 11.1.2.3.0, 12.2.1.3.0, and 12.2.1.4.0, making it a widespread concern across various deployment scenarios. The flaw operates with a CVSS base score of 7.6, indicating a high severity threat that combines significant confidentiality impact with moderate integrity impact, while maintaining a low attack complexity and requiring only low privileges for exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Identity Console component, allowing a low-privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise the Identity Manager system. The attack requires human interaction from a person other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or user manipulation may be necessary to initiate the exploitation process. This characteristic places the vulnerability within the purview of CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate Identity Manager component, potentially affecting additional products within the Oracle Fusion Middleware ecosystem.
Operational consequences of successful exploitation can be devastating, enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical data within Identity Manager or achieve complete access to all accessible data. The vulnerability also permits unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations against some of the accessible data, creating both confidentiality and integrity risks. This dual impact capability makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can result in data manipulation alongside data theft, potentially compromising the entire identity management infrastructure. The CVSS vector indicates network-based attack surface with low access complexity, suggesting that the vulnerability could be exploited remotely without requiring physical access or specialized equipment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patch management and security updates from Oracle, as the affected versions are all within the supported release lifecycle. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to Identity Manager components and enforce strict access controls through the principle of least privilege. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting regular security assessments of identity management systems. Security teams should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing identity compromise scenarios and consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-284 and its alignment with ATT&CK techniques emphasize the need for comprehensive access control policies and continuous monitoring of privileged access activities.