CVE-2026-61142: Oracle Payroll Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-61142 Overview

CVE-2026-61142 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Oracle Payroll product of Oracle E-Business Suite, within the Internal Operations component. The flaw affects supported versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15. A low-privileged attacker with network access via HTTP can exploit this issue to compromise Oracle Payroll. Successful exploitation results in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Payroll accessible data. The vulnerability carries a scope change, meaning attacks may significantly impact additional products beyond Oracle Payroll itself.

Critical Impact
Low-privileged, network-based attackers can obtain unauthorized access to all data accessible through Oracle Payroll, with impact extending beyond the vulnerable component due to scope change.

Affected Products

Oracle E-Business Suite — Oracle Payroll (Internal Operations component)
Supported versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15
Deployments exposing Oracle Payroll HTTP endpoints to authenticated users

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-21 - CVE-2026-61142 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-07-21 - Last updated in the NVD database
July 2026 - Addressed in the Oracle Security Alert July 2026

Technical Details for CVE-2026-61142

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Internal Operations component of Oracle Payroll, part of the broader Oracle E-Business Suite. An authenticated attacker with only low privileges can send crafted HTTP requests to reach affected functionality. The issue results in an information disclosure condition where the attacker can read data outside the intended authorization boundary.

The scope change indicated by Oracle's advisory is significant. Exploitation compromises a security authority beyond Oracle Payroll, allowing the attacker to reach data managed by other components in the E-Business Suite deployment. Integrity and availability remain unaffected, but confidentiality impact is high.

Because Oracle E-Business Suite deployments typically process payroll, HR, and financial records, exposure of accessible data can include personally identifiable information (PII), compensation records, and internal operational data.

Root Cause

Oracle has not published detailed root-cause information. Based on the advisory, the flaw permits an authenticated HTTP request path to read data that should be restricted by access controls, indicating a broken authorization or improper access control condition in the Internal Operations component.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based over HTTP. The attacker requires valid low-privilege credentials to the Oracle E-Business Suite environment. No user interaction is required, and exploitation complexity is low. See the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 for vendor-supplied technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-61142

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected HTTP requests from low-privileged user sessions targeting Oracle Payroll Internal Operations endpoints
Anomalous read patterns against Payroll data tables from application service accounts
Session activity that traverses component boundaries within E-Business Suite after authentication as a non-administrative user

Detection Strategies

Enable and centralize Oracle E-Business Suite application audit logs, focusing on Payroll module data access events
Baseline normal HTTP request patterns to Oracle Payroll and alert on outliers from low-privilege user roles
Correlate authentication events with subsequent data access to identify horizontal privilege escalation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor database-level SELECT activity against Oracle Payroll schemas and flag bulk or unusual reads
Track Oracle E-Business Suite session activity for cross-component access following authentication
Review web server access logs for repeated requests to Internal Operations URIs from the same low-privileged session

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-61142

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the July 2026 Oracle Critical Patch Update to all Oracle E-Business Suite installations running versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.15
Inventory Oracle Payroll deployments and confirm patch coverage across production, test, and disaster recovery environments
Restrict network exposure of Oracle E-Business Suite HTTP interfaces to trusted internal networks and VPN users
Audit low-privileged accounts and remove unused or over-provisioned access to Oracle Payroll

Patch Information

Oracle addressed CVE-2026-61142 in the July 2026 Critical Patch Update. Refer to the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 for patch identifiers, prerequisites, and installation guidance specific to each supported version.

Workarounds

Oracle has not published an official workaround; patching is the required remediation
Where patching must be deferred, place Oracle E-Business Suite behind a web application firewall and restrict access to Internal Operations URIs to administrative roles only
Enforce strict role-based access control and remove HTTP access for any account that does not require Payroll functionality

bash

# Verify Oracle E-Business Suite patch level after applying the July 2026 CPU
sqlplus apps/<password> <<EOF
SELECT bug_number, last_update_date
  FROM ad_bugs
 WHERE bug_number IN ('<CPU_JUL2026_BUG_ID>')
 ORDER BY last_update_date DESC;
EXIT;
EOF