CVE-2022-21251 in Installed Base
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2022
Vulnerability in the Oracle Installed Base product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Instance Main). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.3-12.2.11. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Installed Base. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle Installed Base. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.5 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-21251 represents a critical availability threat within Oracle E-Business Suite's Installed Base component, specifically within the Instance Main module. This weakness affects a broad range of supported versions from 12.2.3 through 12.2.11, indicating a significant attack surface across multiple releases of the enterprise suite. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable underscores its accessibility to unauthorized attackers who can leverage network-based HTTP connections without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is inevitable.
The technical flaw manifests as a vulnerability that allows attackers to execute malicious payloads against the Installed Base functionality, potentially leading to complete denial of service conditions. The CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the high impact on availability, with the vector indicating network-based access with low attack complexity and no required privileges. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the Instance Main component, which serves as a critical element within Oracle E-Business Suite for managing installed base data and configurations. The potential for causing hangs or frequently repeatable crashes demonstrates that attackers can reliably disrupt service availability, potentially leading to extended downtime for business-critical operations that depend on the installed base functionality.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risk to organizations utilizing Oracle E-Business Suite, particularly those with extensive deployed base configurations. The complete denial of service capability means that legitimate users and business processes relying on the Installed Base component could experience extended interruptions, potentially affecting inventory management, customer data handling, and overall operational continuity. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it could potentially affect downstream systems that depend on accurate installed base information for proper operation. Organizations may face significant business disruption, including potential revenue loss and operational inefficiencies, particularly in mission-critical environments where continuous availability is essential.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly within the execution and denial of service categories, where the attack surface includes network-based exploitation of web applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses improper restriction of operations within a limited context, and CWE-400 which covers lack of resource management. Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Oracle, network segmentation to limit exposure, and implementation of web application firewalls to filter malicious HTTP requests. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected versions and establish monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics suggest that preventive measures should include regular security assessments, proper access controls, and network-level protections to minimize the attack surface and reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.