FOCUS FRIDAY: TPRM INSIGHTS INTO ORACLE WEBLOGIC SERVER AND GITHUB ENTERPRISE VULNERABILITIES
Written By: Ferdi Gül
This week’s Focus Friday blog highlights two critical vulnerabilities that pose significant risks to third-party ecosystems—CVE-2024-21216 affecting Oracle WebLogic Server and CVE-2024-9487 impacting GitHub Enterprise. These vulnerabilities, involving remote code execution and authentication bypass, respectively, threaten not only the organizations directly utilizing these products but also their entire supply chains. In this blog, we will dive into each vulnerability, its potential impact, and why Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) professionals should pay close attention. We also explore how Black Kite’s FocusTags™ can streamline your risk assessment process by identifying vendors impacted by these threats and providing actionable insights for mitigation.
CVE-2024-21216: Oracle WebLogic Server RCE Vulnerability
What is the Oracle WebLogic Server RCE Vulnerability?
CVE-2024-21216 is a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Oracle WebLogic Server, affecting versions 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.1.0.0. This vulnerability allows attackers with network access via T3 or IIOP protocol to gain full control over the server without requiring authentication. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, system manipulation, and further malicious activities like ransomware deployment. The vulnerability was first published on Oracle’s October 2024 CPU and holds a CVSS score of 9.8, signifying its severity. Although no known exploitation has been reported in the wild, a PoC is not yet available. Historically, similar vulnerabilities have been exploited by Chinese threat actors.
Why Should TPRM Professionals Care About Oracle WebLogic Server RCE Vulnerability?
Oracle WebLogic Server is a widely used platform for hosting business-critical applications. A successful attack could result in complete system compromise, exposing sensitive data or enabling malicious control of the organization’s operations. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous for organizations hosting externally-facing instances of WebLogic, as it could expose them to external threats. In the context of third-party risk management, any vendors or partners using Oracle WebLogic Server should be thoroughly assessed for potential exposure, especially if these servers host sensitive applications or data.
What questions should TPRM professionals ask vendors about CVE-2024-21216?
Remediation Recommendations for Vendors Subject to This Risk
How TPRM professionals can leverage Black Kite for this vulnerability
Black Kite published the Oracle WebLogic Server FocusTag on October 16, 2024, offering detailed insights into which vendors are at risk of this critical vulnerability. TPRM professionals can operationalize this FocusTag by identifying vendors using vulnerable WebLogic versions and prioritizing assessments and remediation efforts. The FocusTag also provides IP addresses and subdomains hosting the vulnerable systems, empowering organizations to act swiftly and mitigate risk efficiently. Monitoring vendors with exposure to this vulnerability through Black Kite’s intelligence platform can significantly reduce response time and mitigate potential exploitation risks.
CVE-2024-9487: GitHub Enterprise SAML SSO Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
What is the GitHub Enterprise SAML SSO Authentication Bypass Vulnerability?
CVE-2024-9487 is a critical vulnerability that affects GitHub Enterprise Server versions prior to 3.15. This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication, potentially granting unauthorized access to sensitive GitHub Enterprise Server instances. The issue stems from improper verification of cryptographic signatures during the SAML authentication process, which may allow attackers to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.5, indicating its critical severity, and an EPSS score of 0.05%. While no known public exploitation has been reported, it poses a significant risk to enterprises that utilize GitHub Enterprise Server with SAML SSO and encrypted assertions.
The vulnerability was disclosed in October 2024 and has not yet been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. However, given the critical nature of the vulnerability and its potential impact on organizations, it should be addressed immediately by applying the recommended patches.
Why Should TPRM Professionals Care About the GitHub Enterprise Vulnerability?
GitHub Enterprise is widely used by organizations to manage their development environments and host proprietary code. A successful exploitation of CVE-2024-9487 could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive repositories, potentially exposing intellectual property, sensitive data, or security credentials. For TPRM professionals, the exposure of a third-party development platform like GitHub could have a cascading impact on software supply chains, making it critical to assess whether any vendors or partners are at risk due to this vulnerability.
Organizations with vendors relying on GitHub Enterprise must act swiftly to ensure that these systems are secure, as a breach could lead to unauthorized changes in code, further introducing vulnerabilities into the products and services downstream.
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What questions should TPRM professionals ask vendors about CVE-2024-9487?
Remediation Recommendations for Vendors Subject to This Risk
How TPRM professionals can leverage Black Kite for this vulnerability
Black Kite published the GitHub Enterprise FocusTag on October 14, 2024, offering in-depth insights into which vendors are exposed to this critical SAML SSO authentication bypass vulnerability. TPRM professionals can leverage this tag to identify at-risk vendors quickly, enabling faster remediation and risk mitigation. Additionally, Black Kite’s FocusTags™ provide a unique advantage by supplying the IP addresses and subdomains associated with vulnerable instances, allowing organizations to take swift, targeted action to secure their supply chain.
ENHANCING TPRM STRATEGIES WITH BLACK KITE’S FOCUSTAGS™
In an ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, Black Kite’s FocusTags™ serve as a powerful tool to manage third-party risks efficiently. This week’s vulnerabilities in Oracle WebLogic Server and GitHub Enterprise exemplify how high-profile security flaws can cascade through supply chains, affecting multiple vendors and partners. With FocusTags™, you can stay ahead of these threats by:
Black Kite’s FocusTags™ continue to be an invaluable asset for TPRM professionals, offering real-time insights and targeted recommendations to help mitigate third-party risks associated with high-profile vulnerabilities.
About Focus Friday
Every week, we delve into the realms of critical vulnerabilities and their implications from a Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) perspective. This series is dedicated to shedding light on pressing cybersecurity threats, offering in-depth analyses, and providing actionable insights.
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Charge Nurse at ST.VINCENT DE PAUL
1moVery helpful