CVE-2022-21346 in BI Publisher
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2022
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: BI Publisher Security). Supported versions that are affected are 5.5.0.0.0, 12.2.1.3.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle BI Publisher. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle BI Publisher accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.5 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-21346 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle BI Publisher, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that serves as a comprehensive reporting and data visualization platform. This vulnerability specifically resides within the BI Publisher Security module and affects three major version lines including 5.5.0.0.0, 12.2.1.3.0, and 12.2.1.4.0, indicating a widespread impact across multiple release streams of the software. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable means that attackers with minimal technical expertise and network access can potentially leverage this weakness without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such systems often contain sensitive business data and critical enterprise information.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise Oracle BI Publisher through HTTP network connections, representing a significant breach in the system's access controls and authentication mechanisms. The CVSS 3.1 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 7.5, which falls into the high severity category, with the primary impact focused on confidentiality as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N). This scoring reflects that an attacker can exploit the vulnerability from a network location without requiring privileged access or user interaction, and the impact on confidentiality is severe, potentially allowing unauthorized access to all data accessible through the BI Publisher system. The vulnerability essentially bypasses normal authentication procedures, creating an attack surface that enables unauthorized data access and potential data exfiltration from systems that should be protected by proper access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it could lead to complete compromise of sensitive enterprise data that BI Publisher typically handles including financial reports, business intelligence data, and other confidential information. Organizations utilizing affected versions of Oracle BI Publisher face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses. The vulnerability's characteristics align with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through exploitation of weak or unsecured authentication mechanisms. The implications for enterprise security are particularly concerning given that BI Publisher systems often serve as central repositories for business-critical data, making them attractive targets for malicious actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through Oracle's security patches and updates while implementing additional network-level security controls to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
The vulnerability's network-based exploitation method suggests that organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, firewall rules, and access control lists to limit exposure of affected systems. Additionally, monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP requests targeting BI Publisher endpoints can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The CVSS vector specifically indicates that no user interaction is required and that the attack can be conducted remotely, emphasizing the need for organizations to assess their network exposure and implement proper security controls to protect these critical business intelligence platforms from unauthorized access attempts.