CVE-2023-21941 in BI Publisher
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Analytics (component: Web Server). Supported versions that are affected are 6.4.0.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle BI Publisher. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle BI Publisher accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-21941 resides within Oracle BI Publisher, a component of Oracle Analytics that operates within the Web Server environment. This security flaw affects specifically version 6.4.0.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 of the Oracle BI Publisher product, representing a significant concern for organizations utilizing these software versions. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers require minimal prerequisites to leverage this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where security controls may be insufficient.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Oracle BI Publisher web server implementation. Attackers with low privilege levels and network access via HTTP protocols can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized read access to sensitive data within the affected system. The CVSS 3.1 scoring system assigns this vulnerability a base score of 4.3, reflecting the confidentiality impact category with a low attack complexity and low privilege requirements. The attack vector is classified as network-based, meaning no physical access or local login credentials are necessary for exploitation. The vulnerability's impact scope remains unscoped, indicating that the compromise affects only a subset of accessible data rather than the entire system.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on Oracle BI Publisher for business intelligence and reporting functions. The unauthorized read access capability could expose sensitive business data, financial reports, operational metrics, or other confidential information that typically requires elevated access privileges. The low privilege requirement means that even casual network users or attackers with minimal initial access could potentially exploit this vulnerability. Organizations may experience data leakage, competitive disadvantages, and regulatory compliance violations if this vulnerability is successfully exploited, particularly in industries with strict data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors.
Security mitigations for CVE-2023-21941 should prioritize immediate patch management and configuration hardening measures. Oracle has released security patches specifically addressing this vulnerability that organizations should deploy promptly across all affected versions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit unnecessary HTTP access to the BI Publisher web server. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting access to the web server to only authorized personnel with legitimate business requirements. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring solutions to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and may be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) or T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) depending on the exploitation method and post-exploitation activities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses within the broader Oracle Analytics ecosystem and related components.