CVE-2021-35595 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2021
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Business Interlink). Supported versions that are affected are 8.57, 8.58 and 8.59. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-35595 resides within the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product, specifically within the Business Interlink component. This flaw affects versions 8.57, 8.58, and 8.59 of the software, representing a significant security concern for organizations utilizing Oracle's enterprise application suite. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this weakness with minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems handle sensitive business data and processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools through HTTP network connections, eliminating the need for prior authentication credentials. This characteristic places the vulnerability within the scope of network-based attacks that can be executed remotely, potentially affecting organizations with exposed web services or applications. The attack vector specifically targets the Business Interlink component which serves as a communication bridge between different PeopleSoft modules and external systems, making it a critical pathway for potential data compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools environment, as successful exploitation can significantly affect additional products within the Oracle ecosystem. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of this flaw, with confidentiality and integrity impacts rated as low, while the scope of the attack is classified as changed, indicating potential for broader system compromise. The vulnerability requires human interaction from individuals other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or user manipulation might be necessary to complete the exploitation process, though this does not diminish the overall threat level.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability enables unauthorized update, insert, or delete operations on specific PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools data, alongside unauthorized read access to subsets of accessible data. The combination of these capabilities creates a comprehensive threat model where attackers could modify critical business data, introduce malicious entries, or extract sensitive information from the system. The CVSS vector analysis reveals that network access is required for exploitation, with low attack complexity and no privileges needed, while user interaction is required and the scope of impact can change, indicating potential for cascading effects across interconnected systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to PeopleSoft web services, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic, and thorough patch management procedures to address the identified vulnerability. The CWE classification for this type of vulnerability typically relates to improper access control mechanisms, specifically CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-352 for cross-site request forgery, which aligns with the business interlink component's role in facilitating communication between different system elements. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as well as conducting comprehensive security assessments to identify other potential vulnerabilities within their PeopleSoft implementations. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, emphasizing the importance of securing externally accessible web services and implementing robust access controls to prevent unauthorized modifications to business-critical data within the PeopleSoft environment.