CVE-2022-21261 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2022
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Samples). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.1.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle WebLogic Server. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle WebLogic Server, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle WebLogic Server accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle WebLogic Server 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 • 01/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-21261 resides within Oracle WebLogic Server's Samples component, representing a critical security flaw that affects specifically version 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.1.0.0 of the Fusion Middleware suite. This vulnerability manifests as an easily exploitable weakness that enables unauthenticated attackers to compromise the target system through HTTP network connections, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is common. The flaw operates within the broader context of Oracle's enterprise application server platform, which serves as a foundational component for numerous business-critical applications across various industries.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the Samples functionality of WebLogic Server, creating an avenue for unauthorized data manipulation and access. The CVSS 3.1 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 6.1, indicating moderate severity with specific impacts to confidentiality and integrity as rated by the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. The network accessibility (AV:N) combined with low attack complexity (AC:L) and no required privileges (PR:N) creates a particularly concerning threat landscape. The requirement for human interaction (UI:R) suggests that while the attack itself is automated, some form of user engagement or system interaction may be necessary to fully exploit the vulnerability, potentially through social engineering or targeted phishing campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate compromise of the WebLogic Server instance, as successful exploitation can result in unauthorized modification of data through update, insert, or delete operations on accessible data repositories. Additionally, attackers can gain unauthorized read access to sensitive data subsets within the server's accessible data scope, potentially exposing confidential business information, user credentials, or proprietary application data. The security implications are particularly severe given that this vulnerability affects the samples component, which often contains demonstration code and may inadvertently expose additional attack surfaces or provide attackers with insights into the underlying system architecture. The CVSS score's classification of C:L (confidentiality low) and I:L (integrity low) suggests that while the immediate impact may appear limited, the potential for escalation exists, especially when considering that this vulnerability affects a core enterprise application server platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-21261 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle WebLogic Server versions to the latest security releases provided by Oracle. Organizations must implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of WebLogic Server instances to untrusted networks, particularly focusing on disabling or restricting access to the Samples component. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual HTTP traffic patterns and unauthorized access attempts to the WebLogic administrative interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation through application exploitation, and organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls for WebLogic Server components. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential additional attack vectors within the Oracle Fusion Middleware environment, as this vulnerability may indicate broader security weaknesses in the application server configuration. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid identification and containment of exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.