CVE-2026-46954: Oracle E-Business Suite Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-46954 Overview

CVE-2026-46954 affects the Data Removal Tool component of the Oracle Human Resources product within Oracle E-Business Suite. Supported versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15 are affected. An authenticated attacker with high privileges and network access via HTTP can exploit the weakness to compromise Oracle Human Resources. Successful exploitation results in full takeover of the Oracle Human Resources module, with impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-284] (Improper Access Control).

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows a high-privileged attacker to fully take over Oracle Human Resources, compromising sensitive HR data and system integrity across affected E-Business Suite deployments.

Affected Products

Oracle E-Business Suite — Oracle Human Resources 12.2.3
Oracle E-Business Suite — Oracle Human Resources 12.2.4 through 12.2.14
Oracle E-Business Suite — Oracle Human Resources 12.2.15

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-21 - CVE-2026-46954 published to NVD
2026-07-23 - Last updated in NVD database
2026-07 - Addressed in Oracle Security Alert July 2026

Technical Details for CVE-2026-46954

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Data Removal Tool component of Oracle Human Resources, part of Oracle E-Business Suite. The Data Removal Tool is used to purge or anonymize HR records within the application. Improper access control in this component permits an authenticated attacker holding high privileges to perform operations that compromise the module. Because the attack vector is network-based over HTTP and does not require user interaction, an attacker who already possesses a privileged E-Business Suite account can invoke the affected functionality remotely.

Successful exploitation yields full takeover of the Oracle Human Resources product, meaning the attacker can read, modify, and destroy HR data. Given the sensitivity of payroll, personal, and employment records typically stored in this module, the impact extends to regulatory exposure under privacy and data protection regimes.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper access control [CWE-284] in the Data Removal Tool. Authorization checks within the component do not sufficiently constrain what a privileged user may act upon, allowing operations that lead to compromise of the wider Oracle Human Resources module rather than the narrow scope the tool is intended to affect.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the Oracle E-Business Suite application over HTTP and valid credentials for a high-privileged account. No user interaction is required. The attacker interacts with the Data Removal Tool endpoint to trigger the access-control weakness and pivot into full control of the Oracle Human Resources product.

No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or reports of exploitation in the wild are available at the time of publication. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The EPSS score is 0.465% as of 2026-07-23.

See the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-46954

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected invocations of the Oracle HR Data Removal Tool outside of scheduled maintenance windows.
Unusual HTTP requests to Oracle E-Business Suite endpoints associated with the Data Removal Tool component.
Mass deletion, modification, or anonymization events in HR tables that do not correspond to approved change tickets.
Authentication events from high-privileged E-Business Suite accounts originating from atypical source addresses.

Detection Strategies

Ingest Oracle E-Business Suite application and audit logs into a centralized SIEM and alert on Data Removal Tool activity.
Baseline normal usage of the HR Data Removal Tool and flag deviations in frequency, timing, or record volume.
Correlate privileged HR module actions with change-management records to identify unauthorized use.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Oracle E-Business Suite auditing (FND_LOGIN_AUDIT, sign-on audit) for HR responsibilities and privileged accounts.
Monitor database-level activity on HR schemas (HR, PER, PAY) for bulk delete or purge operations.
Alert on anomalous session activity for accounts assigned the HR System Administrator or equivalent responsibilities.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-46954

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the July 2026 Oracle Critical Patch Update for Oracle E-Business Suite to all instances running versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15.
Inventory Oracle E-Business Suite environments to confirm patch status across production, test, and disaster-recovery systems.
Review and reduce membership of high-privileged HR responsibilities until patching is complete.
Rotate credentials for privileged E-Business Suite accounts if suspicious Data Removal Tool activity is observed.

Patch Information

Oracle addressed CVE-2026-46954 in the July 2026 Critical Patch Update. Administrators should follow the guidance in the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 to identify and apply the appropriate patch for Oracle Human Resources versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15.

Workarounds

Restrict network access to the Oracle E-Business Suite HTTP tier so that only trusted internal networks and jump hosts can reach it.
Limit assignment of privileged HR responsibilities and enforce separation of duties for the Data Removal Tool function.
Require multi-factor authentication for administrative and HR privileged accounts accessing E-Business Suite.
Enable and retain application and database audit logs for HR modules to support detection and forensics.

bash

# Configuration example: restrict access to the EBS HTTP tier at the network edge
# (illustrative iptables rules — adapt to your environment)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -j DROP