CVE-2023-21941 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

In April 2023, Oracle published CVE-2023-21941 pertaining to a vulnerability in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Analytics. This CVE highlights an easily exploitable vulnerability that allows a low-privileged attacker to potentially compromise Oracle BI Publisher via network access over HTTP. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle BI Publisher accessible data.

Understanding CVE-2023-21941

This section dives deeper into the specifics of CVE-2023-21941.

What is CVE-2023-21941?

CVE-2023-21941 is a vulnerability found in the Oracle BI Publisher product of Oracle Analytics, specifically impacting versions 6.4.0.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0. It allows attackers with low privileges and network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle BI Publisher, resulting in unauthorized access to certain data.

The Impact of CVE-2023-21941

The impact of CVE-2023-21941 includes unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle BI Publisher data. The Confidentiality impact is rated as low, with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.3.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-21941

This section outlines the technical details of CVE-2023-21941.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Oracle BI Publisher allows attackers with minimal privileges and network access via HTTP to compromise the system, potentially leading to unauthorized data access.

Affected Systems and Versions

Oracle BI Publisher versions 6.4.0.0.0 and 12.2.1.4.0 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is easily exploitable by low-privileged attackers with network access via HTTP, making it a critical security concern.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-21941, organizations and users should take immediate action to mitigate risks and prevent exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches or updates provided by Oracle promptly.
Implement network security measures to restrict unauthorized access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for security advisories from Oracle.
Conduct routine vulnerability assessments and security audits.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches and updates released by Oracle for the affected versions.
Ensure timely application of patches to safeguard systems against potential vulnerabilities.