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Weblogic ServerApplication · Oracle

CVE-2023-21956

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Web Container). Supported versions that are affected are 12.2.1.4.0 and 14.1.1.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle WebLogic Server. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle WebLogic Server, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle WebLogic Server accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle WebLogic Server accessible data. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Vulnerability in Oracle WebLogic Server Web Container allows unauthenticated remote attackers via HTTP to achieve unauthorized read and limited write (update/insert/delete) access to server data. Exploitation requires human interaction (e.g., tricking a user into clicking a malicious link) and results in a scope change affecting additional products beyond WebLogic Server.

MitigationApply the Oracle Critical Patch Update addressing CVE-2023-21956 for versions 12.2.1.4.0 or 14.1.1.0.0. As compensating controls, restrict HTTP exposure to trusted networks and implement Web Application Firewall rules to detect and block potential exploitation attempts.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Weblogic ServerApplication
Affected:= 12.2.1.4.0= 14.1.1.0.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify WebLogic Server installation and version
    Locate the WebLogic Server installation directory and check the version. Common paths include $MW_HOME/wlserver or $ORACLE_HOME/wlserver. The version is typically stored in a manifest file or can be retrieved via the WebLogic Administration Console, or by examining the product.version file in the installation directory.
    Affected if The installed version matches 12.2.1.4.0 or 14.1.1.0.0 exactly.
  2. Verify Web Container component is in use
    Confirm that the WebLogic Web Container (HTTP servlet container) is enabled and processing HTTP requests. This can be verified through the WebLogic Administration Console under Deployments > Web Application Modules, or by checking if the server is listening on configured HTTP ports (typically 7001 for admin, or custom managed server ports).
    Affected if The Web Container is active and accepting HTTP connections.
  3. Assess HTTP listener exposure
    Determine if WebLogic HTTP ports are accessible from untrusted networks. Review network configuration, firewall rules, and WebLogic channel configuration to identify which network interfaces and IP addresses the HTTP listeners are bound to. Check the Network Access Points in WebLogic Console.
    Affected if HTTP ports are exposed to untrusted or public networks without proper access controls.
  4. Review deployed web applications
    Examine deployed web applications through the WebLogic Administration Console under Deployments. Identify any applications that process user-supplied URLs or content that could be targeted for the unauthorized read/write access.
    Affected if Web applications are deployed and accessible via HTTP, providing potential attack surface.

You are affected if your environment runs Oracle WebLogic Server versions 12.2.1.4.0 or 14.1.1.0.0 with the Web Container accessible via HTTP to untrusted networks.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Oracle Critical Patch Update addressing CVE-2023-21956 for versions 12.2.1.4.0 or 14.1.1.0.0. As compensating controls, restrict HTTP exposure to trusted networks and implement Web Application Firewall rules to detect and block potential exploitation attempts.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Oracle WebLogic Server 12.2.1.4.x with April 2023 CPU or later, or Oracle WebLogic Server 14.1.1.0.0 with April 2023 CPU or later

  1. Check Oracle Critical Patch Update advisory for April 2023 for CVE-2023-21956 details
  2. Download and apply the April 2023 CPU (or later) patch for Oracle WebLogic Server from Oracle Support (My Oracle Support)
  3. Alternatively, upgrade to a later version of WebLogic Server that includes the security fix
  4. After applying the patch or upgrade, restart the WebLogic Server services to ensure the fix takes effect
  5. Verify the fix by reviewing the patch applied and testing that the vulnerable endpoint is no longer exploitable
Caveat Patches may require downtime for application restart; test thoroughly in non-production environment before applying to production

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Weblogic Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-21956 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data