CVE-2022-21272 in PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2022
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Portal). 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 • 01/25/2022
The CVE-2022-21272 vulnerability represents a significant security flaw within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, specifically affecting the Portal component across versions 8.57, 8.58, and 8.59. This vulnerability classifies as an easily exploitable issue that allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise the affected systems through HTTP network access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where PeopleSoft applications are exposed to external networks. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) indicates fundamental flaws in the access control mechanisms that govern system resources and data access within the PeopleTools framework. The attack vector requires minimal technical sophistication, as it operates over standard HTTP protocols without requiring authentication credentials from the attacker's perspective.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Portal component, which permits unauthorized modification of data through update, insert, and delete operations on certain accessible data sets. Additionally, the flaw enables unauthorized read access to a subset of data that should normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. The CVSS 3.1 scoring of 6.1 reflects the moderate severity of impact, with confidentiality and integrity affected at a low level, while the scope extends to include additional products beyond the primary PeopleTools component. This cross-product impact suggests that successful exploitation could potentially affect other systems or applications that interact with PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, creating cascading security implications throughout the enterprise infrastructure. The vulnerability's requirement for human interaction indicates that while the attack itself can be automated, some form of user involvement or specific conditions must be met for the exploit to succeed.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools for critical business processes, particularly those handling sensitive financial, HR, or operational data. The ability to perform unauthorized data modifications without authentication creates opportunities for data integrity compromise, while read access capabilities could expose confidential information to unauthorized parties. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues and potential financial losses if sensitive data is compromised through exploitation of this vulnerability. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker leveraging the HTTP interface to probe for the vulnerability, potentially using automated tools to identify and exploit the access control weaknesses. The impact extends beyond immediate data compromise to include potential system availability issues and the possibility of further lateral movement within the network if proper network segmentation is not implemented.
Recommended mitigations for CVE-2022-21272 include immediate implementation of Oracle's security patches and updates for the affected PeopleSoft versions, along with network-level controls such as firewall rules that restrict access to PeopleTools Portal components to trusted networks only. Organizations should implement additional monitoring and logging of Portal component access to detect potential exploitation attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting access to PeopleTools Portal functionality to authorized personnel only, while network segmentation can help contain the impact if exploitation occurs. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in other enterprise applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and credential access techniques, making it particularly relevant for organizations implementing threat hunting and incident response procedures. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic to the affected Portal components, providing an additional layer of protection against exploitation attempts.