# Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Code Editor: Cloud Takeover Risk

### 1\. Critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) in OCI Code Editor

Tenable Research discovered a serious Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s (OCI) Code Editor. This flaw allowed attackers to silently compromise a victim’s Cloud Shell session via a single malicious link. Once exploited, the vulnerability could potentially allow lateral movement within OCI and compromise related development services.

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### 2\. Technical Details of the Vulnerability

* The vulnerability is due to a **Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)** issue in the Code Editor's file upload mechanism.
    
* The browser-based IDE shares the same file system as Cloud Shell, creating an unexpected and dangerous attack surface.
    
* The `/file-upload` endpoint in Cloud Shell did not enforce CSRF protection.
    
* The attack utilized a crafted HTTP request:
    
    ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcwtMnvt_mkrwjfImqW1-2VnJgh57h9j7g8lol6JddzsoRUCMjyNlVXg4fX5Ld0QLJSVFoLkLd9Bvs0E6y0X15LCWwgjNSndFPDaEvpsx38nDfRLJ3nkpQLVUuPpMjF2ANKhgIS?key=nW8mjuEK6q-0oz-9a4NWaw align="left")
    
* Additionally, the authentication cookie lacked the `SameSite` flag, making it vulnerable to cross-site abuse.
    
* As a result, any website could upload arbitrary files into the victim's Cloud Shell environment, as long as the victim was authenticated.
    

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### 3\. Attack Scenario

![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEg8E_F6ZMsZs0eawO9_0WnjIC1RRPor0V23zaUWfqqwB23A2xjNQ4kZIBegJ2R1_MH2NTBaytPzdcA8M7CaXnLAdvKAsxV2CuGuFOciipI7sB0lAZ9NC7heTK4Kk8QvpGCdlsyiKe9aN9uB3VneaIIGEH3seahHPAhVPm-IFCbTqEjA8qDToPr15nkaxY/s16000/Oracle%20Cloud%20Shell%20RCE.gif align="left")

* The attacker hosts a malicious webpage.
    
* When a logged-in OCI user visits the page, it silently sends a POST request to the vulnerable endpoint, uploading a payload (e.g., a modified `.bashrc` file).
    
* Upon the victim’s next Cloud Shell session, the injected payload is automatically executed.
    
* This can result in remote shell access, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary commands in the victim’s environment.
    
* If the attacker gains access to the OCI CLI, they can escalate privileges and access additional services.
    

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### 4\. Potential Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

* Unusual modifications to shell initialization files: `.bashrc`, `.profile`, `.zshrc`, etc.
    
* Outbound connections from Cloud Shell to external IPs or domains.
    
* Suspicious commands run from within Cloud Shell using the OCI CLI.
    
* Unexpected file uploads appearing in Cloud Shell’s workspace.
    

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### 5\. Affected Services

The vulnerability impacts not only Cloud Shell, but also any OCI services that rely on the same shared filesystem or developer tools, such as:

* **Resource Manager**
    
* **Oracle Functions**
    
* **Data Science Environments**
    

These services could be tampered with post-compromise, allowing attackers to alter deployment configurations, inject malicious functions, or manipulate data workflows.

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### 6\. Mitigation

Oracle has issued a patch that enforces:

* CSRF token validation via custom headers (e.g., `x-csrf-token`)
    
* Browser-level protection against unauthorized cross-origin file uploads
    

These mitigations prevent external sites from interacting with the vulnerable endpoint unless authorized.

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### 7\. Recommendations

* Regularly review file contents in Cloud Shell, especially shell startup files.
    
* Apply the principle of least privilege across all OCI services and identities.
    
* Monitor for abnormal activity in audit logs and cloud command histories.
    
* Educate users about phishing and malicious websites, which could serve as vectors for similar CSRF-based attacks.