CVE-2026-83389 in HRMS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2026
Vulnerability in the Oracle HRMS (UK) product of Oracle E-Business Suite (component: Internal Operations). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.3-12.2.15. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle HRMS (UK). Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle HRMS (UK), attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle HRMS (UK) accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle HRMS (UK) accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 5.4 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Oracle HRMS UK component of the Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically affecting internal operations across supported versions ranging from 12.2.3 to 12.2.15. This security flaw represents a significant risk to organizations relying on these specific iterations for their human resources management processes in the United Kingdom region. The core technical issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the application logic, which allows an attacker with low privileges and network access via HTTP to manipulate data integrity and confidentiality. Unlike many high-severity vulnerabilities that can be exploited remotely without user engagement, this flaw requires a specific condition: human interaction from a victim other than the initial attacker. This characteristic classifies the attack vector as one where social engineering or phishing tactics are likely necessary to trigger the malicious payload, such as by convincing an authorized user to click on a crafted link or submit data through a manipulated interface that exploits the underlying logic error.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability enables unauthorized modifications and disclosures of sensitive HR data. Successful exploitation results in both integrity and confidentiality impacts, allowing attackers to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletes against accessible data within Oracle HRMS UK. Furthermore, it grants read access to a subset of this data, potentially exposing personally identifiable information (PII), salary details, performance reviews, and other confidential employee records. The presence of the scope change indicator in the CVSS vector suggests that while the vulnerability is technically located in the HRMS module, its exploitation can lead to broader system compromise or impact adjacent modules within the E-Business Suite environment. This lateral movement potential increases the overall risk profile for enterprise deployments where multiple Oracle applications are integrated and share underlying database structures or authentication contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate data loss. Because it affects critical HR functions, successful attacks can lead to severe business disruptions, including payroll errors, incorrect employee records, and compliance violations related to data protection regulations such as GDPR in the UK and Europe. The requirement for human interaction lowers the barrier for automated mass exploitation but increases the sophistication required from individual threat actors who may be targeting specific organizations with tailored social engineering campaigns. Attackers could use this access to alter compensation details, delete performance records to cover up misconduct, or exfiltrate sensitive employee data for identity theft or competitive intelligence purposes. The low privilege requirement means that even users with standard operational roles can trigger the vulnerability if they are tricked into interacting with malicious inputs, making it a persistent threat in environments where least-privilege principles might not be strictly enforced at the application level.
In terms of industry standards and classification frameworks, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management or CWE-862 Missing Authorization, depending on whether the flaw is due to excessive permissions granted by default or a logic error that bypasses existing checks. The attack vector corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts if the attacker uses compromised low-level credentials, and potentially T1534 Internal Spearphishing if human interaction via deceptive links is required. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 reflects a medium severity rating, driven by network accessibility and low attack complexity but tempered by the requirement for user interaction and limited availability impact. Organizations must recognize that while the immediate impact is confined to data integrity and confidentiality within HRMS UK, the potential for scope change warrants treating this as a critical issue requiring prompt remediation due to its indirect effect on broader system security posture.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize applying the latest Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) or Security Alert provided by Oracle, which addresses these specific flaws in versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15. Until patches are applied, administrators should implement strict network segmentation to limit HTTP access to HRMS modules from untrusted networks and enforce multi-factor authentication for all user accounts with any level of access to the E-Business Suite. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect anomalous patterns associated with data manipulation attacks can provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts that rely on crafted HTTP requests. Security awareness training is also crucial given the human interaction requirement; employees should be educated to recognize and report suspicious links or forms requesting unusual actions, particularly those originating from internal sources but behaving unexpectedly. Regular auditing of user activities within HRMS UK can help detect unauthorized data changes early, allowing for rapid incident response before significant damage occurs.