CVE-2024-21063 in PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration
Summary
by MITRE • 04/17/2024
Vulnerability in the PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration product of Oracle PeopleSoft (component: Benefits Administration). The supported version that is affected is 9.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration executes to compromise PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-21063 resides within Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise HCM Benefits Administration component version 9.2, representing a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity and confidentiality of human capital management systems. This vulnerability operates within the broader context of enterprise resource planning systems where sensitive employee benefit data flows through complex interconnected processes, making it particularly dangerous for organizations managing large workforces with extensive benefits administration requirements.
The technical flaw manifests as an easily exploitable weakness that requires minimal privileged access to the underlying infrastructure hosting the PeopleSoft application. Specifically, an attacker with low privileges and access to the system infrastructure can leverage this vulnerability to compromise the entire Benefits Administration module. The vulnerability's classification as CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 indicates moderate severity with significant impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. The attack vector requires local access (AV:L) with low complexity (AC:L) and low privilege requirements (PR:L), suggesting that the vulnerability may be accessible through legitimate system access points or through social engineering tactics that could lead to unauthorized access to the target infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data breaches to encompass complete compromise of sensitive employee benefit information. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to critical data including personal identification information, benefit enrollment details, compensation data, and other confidential employee records that organizations are legally obligated to protect. The vulnerability also enables unauthorized modification capabilities, allowing attackers to insert, update, or delete data within the system, potentially leading to financial fraud, benefit manipulation, or systematic data corruption. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability could disrupt business operations by making the benefits administration system unavailable to legitimate users during critical periods such as open enrollment periods or benefit plan changes.
The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker indicates that social engineering or insider threat vectors may be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly challenging to defend against. This aspect of the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks that manipulate individuals into performing actions that compromise security. The vulnerability's impact on data confidentiality and integrity directly relates to CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues, while the partial denial of service component corresponds to CWE-400 which covers unrestrained resource consumption. Organizations implementing PeopleSoft HCM Benefits Administration should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where privileged access controls may be insufficient or where insider threat risks are elevated.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of the latest Oracle security patches and updates, comprehensive review of access controls and privilege assignments within the PeopleSoft environment, and enhanced monitoring of system access logs for unusual patterns. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege access should be strictly enforced to limit potential attack surfaces. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other PeopleSoft components or related applications. Organizations should also implement robust incident response procedures that specifically address the potential for data compromise and service disruption associated with this type of vulnerability. The combination of technical controls and administrative procedures will be essential in protecting sensitive employee benefit data from exploitation of this vulnerability.