CVE-2026-70773 in HCM Common Architecture
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Vulnerability in the Oracle HCM Common Architecture product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Knowledge Integration). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.3-12.2.15. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle HCM Common Architecture. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle HCM Common Architecture accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle HCM Common Architecture accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.2 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Knowledge Integration component of Oracle HCM Common Architecture, a critical subsystem within the broader Oracle E-Business Suite ecosystem designed to facilitate data exchange and integration across various human capital management modules. This flaw affects supported software versions ranging from 12.2.3 through 12.2.15, indicating that a significant portion of deployed enterprise environments remain susceptible if they have not yet applied relevant security patches or updates. The nature of this vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows for exploitation by an unauthenticated attacker who requires only network access via the HTTP protocol to initiate an attack vector. This low barrier to entry means that any external entity with connectivity to the affected service endpoints can potentially trigger the flaw without needing valid credentials, thereby bypassing standard authentication mechanisms that are typically expected in enterprise-grade applications.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability enables unauthorized manipulation of data within the Oracle HCM Common Architecture environment. Successful exploitation results in both confidentiality and integrity impacts, as evidenced by the CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2 which is classified as High severity. The specific impact profile indicates high confidentiality loss alongside low integrity loss while availability remains unaffected. This suggests that an attacker can read sensitive human resources data such as employee personal information, salary details, performance reviews, and other proprietary organizational metrics without authorization. Furthermore, the vulnerability permits unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletes to certain accessible datasets, allowing attackers to alter records, inject malicious entries, or remove critical historical data. Such actions compromise the integrity of the HR database which serves as a single source of truth for many downstream business processes including payroll processing and compliance reporting.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate data theft or corruption. In enterprise environments, Oracle HCM systems are deeply integrated with other financial and operational tools. Compromising these systems can lead to cascading failures in related applications that rely on accurate HR data feeds. For instance, incorrect employee records could result in erroneous payroll calculations, while the insertion of fake user accounts might facilitate further lateral movement within the corporate network if those compromised credentials are synchronized with identity management solutions like Oracle Identity Cloud Service or Active Directory integrations. The ability to delete critical data poses a severe risk to business continuity and regulatory compliance, particularly under frameworks such as GDPR which mandate strict controls over personal data integrity and availability.
In terms of industry standard classifications, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 Improper Authentication where the system fails to correctly verify identity before granting access or performing actions. Additionally, the unauthorized modification aspects relate closely to CWE-269 Improvement of Privileges if the attacker leverages the flaw to gain higher-level permissions than originally intended, and CWE-352 Cross-Site Request Forgery if the attack vector involves tricking a user into submitting requests, although the unauthenticated nature suggests direct exploitation rather than social engineering. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability facilitates Initial Access through valid accounts or network services and potentially Credential Access if session tokens are harvested during the exploit process. It also supports Data Exfiltration for confidential data theft and Impact via Data Manipulation which covers both integrity violations and potential disruption of business operations.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching to the latest available version that addresses this specific flaw within the Knowledge Integration component. Organizations should verify their current software versions against Oracle Security Alerts to ensure they are not running any of the affected 12.2.x releases without appropriate interim fixes or patches applied. In addition to patching, network segmentation plays a crucial role in reducing exposure. The HTTP endpoints associated with this vulnerability should be restricted from direct internet access and placed behind secure web application firewalls that can inspect traffic for known exploit patterns related to improper authentication bypasses. Implementing strict input validation on all server-side components handling integration requests is also essential to prevent malformed or malicious payloads from triggering the underlying code flaws.
Security teams should conduct thorough audits of HTTP logs looking for anomalous access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts, such as repeated failed authentications followed by successful data retrieval operations. Monitoring tools should be configured to alert on unusual spikes in read and write operations against HR database tables which may signal ongoing abuse of this vulnerability. Furthermore, organizations must review their incident response plans to include scenarios involving unauthorized modification or deletion of human resources data, ensuring that recovery procedures are tested and ready for rapid deployment if an attack occurs. Regular penetration testing focused on integration points and web services will help identify similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors targeting the high-value assets housed within Oracle HCM systems.