CVE-2018-2974 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A security issue has been discovered in the Infrastructure component of Oracle Financial Services Applications, specifically in the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking component. This vulnerability affects various versions, including 11.3.0, 11.4.0, 12.0.1, 12.0.2, 12.0.3, 12.1.0, 12.2.0, 12.3.0, 12.4.0, 14.0.0, and 14.1.0. The vulnerability can be easily exploited by a low privileged attacker who has network access via HTTP, potentially compromising the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking system. If successfully attacked, the vulnerability may allow unauthorized modification, insertion, or deletion of certain data accessible through Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking. Additionally, the attacker may gain unauthorized read access to a subset of the data and cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) to the system. The CVSS 3.0 Base Score for this vulnerability is 6.3, indicating impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The CVSS Vector is (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).

Understanding CVE-2018-2974

This section provides insights into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies related to CVE-2018-2974.

What is CVE-2018-2974?

CVE-2018-2974 is a vulnerability found in the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking component of Oracle Financial Services Applications, allowing a low privileged attacker to compromise the system via HTTP.

The Impact of CVE-2018-2974

The vulnerability poses significant risks, including unauthorized data manipulation, partial denial of service, and unauthorized data access, affecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking system.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-2974

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking allows attackers with network access via HTTP to compromise the system, potentially leading to unauthorized data modifications and partial denial of service attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

FLEXCUBE Universal Banking versions 11.3.0, 11.4.0, 12.0.1, 12.0.2, 12.0.3, 12.1.0, 12.2.0, 12.3.0, 12.4.0, 14.0.0, and 14.1.0 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by a low privileged attacker with network access via HTTP, enabling unauthorized data access, modification, and partial denial of service attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-2974 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by Oracle promptly to address the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.
Restrict network access to the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking system to authorized personnel only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
Educate staff on cybersecurity best practices to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update and patch the Oracle FLEXCUBE Universal Banking system to mitigate known vulnerabilities and enhance overall security.