Oracle eBusiness Suite Arbitrary File Read Scanner

Oracle eBusiness Suite is an all-encompassing suite of business applications used by large organizations worldwide to manage enterprise resources, customer relations, and supply chains. It is designed for use by financial analysts, human resources managers, procurement officers, and other professionals who need integrated business information. Despite its powerful functionality, Oracle eBusiness Suite is prone to vulnerabilities due to its complex architecture. Organizations use this software to streamline operations and enhance collaboration across departments, facilitating better decision-making and increased efficiency. Being an older product, support and security updates for Oracle eBusiness Suite might be limited, making vigilance against vulnerabilities crucial.

The 'Arbitrary File Read' vulnerability allows attackers to access sensitive files stored on the server without proper authorization. This can lead to unauthorized exposure of confidential information, potentially causing substantial damage to involved parties. Attackers exploit this vulnerability by manipulating file paths through endpoints meant for legitimate file handling operations. With this vulnerability present, attackers could gain insights into system configuration and other critical data not intended for public access. Proper security controls can help mitigate the risks associated with 'Arbitrary File Read' vulnerabilities. Organizations must take measures to ensure only authorized users can access sensitive files through legitimate channels.

Technical analysis reveals that this vulnerability exploits specific JSP files within the Oracle eBusiness Suite application. Attackers can craft requests that incorporate escape sequences or malformed URLs, enabling access to unauthorized file areas. The targeted endpoint, bispgraph.jsp, is used in generating graph representations but lacks adequate checks to prevent unauthorized file access. Attackers specify file paths in query parameters to read sensitive files like '/etc/passwd' on UNIX-like systems. Proper parameter validation and access control mechanisms are often missing, allowing these unintended file access routes.

When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to severe consequences, such as exposure of sensitive system files. Such access may reveal important system attributes, user credentials, or other proprietary data, potentially leading to data theft or further exploitation. Unauthorized file access might also enable reconnaissance on the system, creating opportunities for more intrusive attacks. If not addressed, it can undermine trust in the application and increase vulnerability to more sophisticated breaches. Moreover, unpatched systems become easy targets for malicious actors bypassing traditional security measures through known vulnerabilities.

REFERENCES

• https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-16/materials/us-16-Litchfield-Hackproofing-Oracle-eBusiness-Suite-wp-4.pdf
• http://www.davidlitchfield.com/AssessingOraclee-BusinessSuite11i.pdf