CVE-2026-70924 in Web Services Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Vulnerability in the Oracle Web Services Manager product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Web Services Security). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.2.0.0. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTPS to compromise Oracle Web Services Manager. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle Web Services Manager. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 8.1 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Web Services Security component of Oracle Fusion Middleware's Oracle Web Services Manager product, specifically affecting versions 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.2.0. This security flaw represents a critical risk to organizations relying on these middleware components for managing secure web service interactions. The vulnerability is characterized by its potential to allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTPS to compromise the integrity of the Oracle Web Services Manager environment. Despite being classified as difficult to exploit, which suggests that specific conditions or complex attack vectors are required to trigger the flaw successfully, the consequences of a successful exploitation are severe and far-reaching. The ability for an external actor to gain unauthorized control over this central management component underscores the critical nature of securing middleware infrastructure against sophisticated threats.
From a technical perspective, the core issue lies in how the Web Services Security module processes incoming requests or handles authentication states within the HTTPS protocol layer. While the exact mechanism is not detailed in the summary, vulnerabilities in web services security components often stem from improper validation of SOAP headers, flawed handling of XML signatures, or weaknesses in token-based authentication protocols such as WS-Security. An attacker capable of crafting specific malicious payloads can bypass expected security controls, leading to a state where the system's trust model is subverted. This allows the attacker to execute arbitrary actions within the context of the Web Services Manager service. The classification of this vulnerability as difficult to exploit indicates that it may require precise timing, knowledge of internal states, or complex multi-step interactions, yet its availability over HTTPS means it can be targeted remotely by any actor with network connectivity to the affected system.
The operational impact of a successful exploitation is substantial, resulting in a complete takeover of Oracle Web Services Manager. This level of compromise grants the attacker extensive capabilities within the middleware environment. Since Oracle Web Services Manager acts as a policy enforcement point for web services, gaining control over it allows an adversary to manipulate security policies, intercept or modify sensitive data flowing through secured channels, and potentially pivot into other connected systems. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 reflects high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This means that attackers can exfiltrate confidential business logic and credentials, alter service responses to cause logical errors or inject malicious content, and disrupt the availability of critical web services by crashing processes or exhausting resources. The vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms that while access complexity is high, no user interaction or prior authentication is required, making it a significant remote threat.
In terms of industry standards and classification frameworks, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 Improper Authentication, as the flaw allows unauthenticated actors to bypass security controls. It also relates closely to CWE-352 Cross-Site Request Forgery if the attack involves manipulating state-changing requests, or potentially CWE-611 Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference if the vulnerability involves parsing malicious XML structures common in web services. Within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this scenario maps to techniques involving Initial Access and Execution via Web Services, specifically leveraging valid protocols like HTTPS to bypass perimeter defenses. The ability to take over a management component also touches upon Privilege Escalation concepts within the middleware layer, allowing lateral movement across the enterprise network if other services rely on compromised policies or tokens issued by this manager.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching and rigorous access control reviews. Oracle has likely released patches for versions 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.2.0.0, so applying the latest security updates is the primary remediation step. Organizations should verify their inventory of Fusion Middleware instances to ensure all affected components are updated. In addition to patching, implementing strict network segmentation can limit exposure by ensuring that only authorized management networks have access to Oracle Web Services Manager interfaces. Deploying a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically tuned for web services attacks and XML-based exploits can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Furthermore, enabling comprehensive logging and monitoring for anomalies in HTTPS traffic patterns related to WS-Security headers will aid in early detection of attempted exploits. Regular audits of security policies enforced by the manager are also recommended to ensure that no residual misconfigurations exist post-patching.