Description
A critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-20953, has been discovered in the Export component of Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) version 9.3.6. This easily exploitable vulnerability allows a low-privileged attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise the Oracle Agile PLM system. Successful exploitation could lead to remote code execution, resulting in a complete takeover of the Agile PLM software. This vulnerability is rated high in severity with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8, significantly impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Affected Product(s)
- Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) 9.3.6
Technical Details
CVE-2024-20953 is a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability present in the Export component of Oracle Agile PLM software (version 9.3.6). At its core, this vulnerability stems from how the ExportServlet of the affected product processes serialized data provided to it via HTTP connections.
Deserialization attacks exploit an application by inserting crafted serialized objects into the data stream. If correctly attacked, the deserialization process executes malicious code injected via the serialized data, leading to grave consequences such as remote code execution. The vulnerable component does not properly validate or sanitize these incoming serialized data streams, allowing attackers to embed malicious payloads capable of compromising the system.
Deserialization vulnerabilities such as this are categorized under CWE-502, “Deserialization of Untrusted Data,” making them a highly dangerous attack vector in enterprise environments. This threat specifically affects Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management version 9.3.6, a tool built for enterprise use in managing product-related data.
Oracle Agile PLM is widely deployed in sectors like manufacturing, automotive, and pharmaceuticals, making this vulnerability particularly severe in operational environments where data integrity and system uptime are critical. Any attacker with low privileges and HTTP access to the Agile PLM instance is capable of initiating this exploit, highlighting the low attack complexity and absence of significant barriers to exploitation.
The vulnerability is part of a broader pattern of deserialization bugs affecting enterprise software. Similar vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2017-3066 in Adobe ColdFusion, have a history of being actively exploited by threat actors to enable remote code execution.
In this case, CVE-2024-20953 has also been observed in the wild, suggesting active exploitation by advanced adversaries. Its high CVSS score, combined with reports from platforms like Reddit and CSO Online, indicate a very high real-world risk. Referenced exploit scenarios highlight that unpatched systems are vulnerable to adversaries deploying custom-crafted payloads to execute arbitrary code.
Threat actors often use these vulnerabilities to establish an initial foothold in their target environments, which can later be leveraged for lateral movement, privilege escalation, or launching ransomware. The affected Export component is integral to the Oracle Agile PLM architecture, handling vital processes related to data export. Its unfortunate exposure underscores a critical flaw in the software’s security design.
By leveraging this vulnerability, attackers could bypass traditional authentication controls. The lack of a secure serialization/deserialization protocol increases its susceptibility to exploitation. More details about the vulnerability can be found at the following reference sources:
- Oracle Security Alerts – January 2024
- CVE Details: CVE-2024-20953
- Zero Day Initiative – ZDI-24-096
- NVD: CVE-2024-20953
Weakness
This vulnerability’s primary weakness is classified under CWE-502, “Deserialization of Untrusted Data.” This weakness occurs when an application insecurely processes serialized object data from untrusted sources. Insecure deserialization flaws can lead to remote code execution, security control bypass, or system compromise. Oracle Agile PLM’s Export component does not adequately verify or sanitize deserialized inputs, enabling attackers to exploit this flaw for malicious purposes.
Impact Assessment
If exploited, CVE-2024-20953 can lead to complete system compromise. Specifically, successful exploitation allows an attacker to:
- Execute arbitrary code on the target system.
- Gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
- Disrupt the system’s normal operation, affecting availability.
- Inject ransomware or malware payloads to further harm the affected environment.
- Use the compromised system for lateral movement within the network or for launching additional attacks.
Active Exploitation
This vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild. Reports confirm that adversaries are exploiting the deserialization vulnerability in Oracle Agile PLM to execute remote code. The exploit is relatively simple due to the low complexity requirements—attackers only need low-level network privileges and access to the target system over HTTP. It has also been noted alongside similar vulnerabilities, like CVE-2017-3066 in Adobe ColdFusion, further emphasizing its criticality.
Ransomware Association
CVE-2024-20953 has significant ransomware implications. Post-exploitation, an attacker could deploy ransomware by leveraging the remote code execution capability offered by the vulnerability. Enterprises using Oracle Agile PLM should be vigilant about potential ransomware campaigns targeting unpatched systems. This vulnerability enables attackers to gain initial access to critical systems, making it an attractive target for ransomware operators seeking to encrypt enterprise data for financial extortion.
Mitigation and Resolution
Oracle has released security patches to address this vulnerability. Organizations using Oracle Agile PLM 9.3.6 are strongly advised to immediately apply the patch made available in the January 2024 Critical Patch Update (Oracle January 2024 Security Patch Update). Updating to the latest version ensures protection against the exploit.
Recommendations
- Apply the latest security patches from Oracle’s January 2024 update immediately.
- Restrict HTTP access to the affected Export component to minimize exposure.
- Regularly monitor network traffic for unusual actions that might indicate exploitation attempts.
- Implement application-layer firewalls to detect and block crafted serialized payloads.
- Conduct penetration testing and security assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Ensure backup systems are in place and regularly updated to mitigate ransomware risks.
- If a patch cannot be immediately applied, consider isolating vulnerable components until the update is implemented.
References
- Oracle Security Alerts
- ZeroDay Advisories
- CVE MITRE Details
- NVD Database
- CSO Online Blog: Critical Deserialization Bugs in Adobe Oracle Software Actively Exploited Warns CISA