CVE-2024-21082 in BI Publisher
Summary
by MITRE • 04/17/2024
Vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Analytics (component: XML Services). Supported versions that are affected are 7.0.0.0.0 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 takeover of Oracle BI Publisher. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 9.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-21082 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle BI Publisher's XML Services component, specifically affecting versions 7.0.0.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 of the Oracle Analytics suite. This vulnerability operates at the network level and presents an easily exploitable condition that allows unauthorized attackers to gain control over the affected system without requiring any authentication credentials. The flaw exists within the XML Services functionality which processes and handles XML data within the BI Publisher environment, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code and potentially assume full administrative control over the vulnerable system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and processing mechanisms within the XML Services component of Oracle BI Publisher. When the system receives XML data through HTTP connections, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data, allowing attackers to craft malicious XML payloads that can trigger unexpected behavior within the application. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which specifically addresses "Improper Input Validation" and falls under the broader category of injection flaws that enable attackers to manipulate the application's processing logic. The vulnerability's characteristics indicate a lack of proper security controls around XML parsing and data handling, creating an opportunity for remote code execution and system compromise.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability is severe and encompasses all three fundamental principles of information security. The CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 reflects the high severity of the flaw, with complete impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can achieve full system compromise, potentially gaining access to sensitive business intelligence data, modifying critical reports and dashboards, and disrupting business operations. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that organizations cannot rely on traditional authentication controls to prevent exploitation, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where the BI Publisher service is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet.
The attack vector for CVE-2024-21082 operates through HTTP network connections, making it accessible to attackers who can reach the affected Oracle BI Publisher instances from external networks. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers "Exploit Public-Facing Application" and demonstrates how attackers can leverage publicly accessible services to gain unauthorized access. The low attack complexity and lack of required privileges make this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors, as it requires minimal skill and resources to exploit. Organizations that have not patched this vulnerability remain at significant risk of being compromised, with potential impacts ranging from data breaches to complete system takeovers that could affect business continuity and regulatory compliance.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Oracle patches and updates to address the vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the affected BI Publisher instances to untrusted networks. Implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious XML traffic patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their Oracle BI Publisher deployments to identify any additional vulnerabilities and ensure proper configuration of security controls. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to verify that patches have been successfully applied without disrupting critical business functionality. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should be implemented to identify and address similar issues in other Oracle products and components that may be present in the organization's environment.