Oracle Denies Alleged Cloud Data Breach of 6 Million Records: A Deep Dive into the Controversy

On March 24, 2025, Oracle denied claims of a massive data breach involving the theft of 6 million records from its cloud platform. The allegations, made by researchers at CloudSEK, suggest that the breach stemmed from a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle’s WebLogic platform, compromising more than 140,000 tenants. Despite Oracle’s strong denial, the controversy surrounding the incident has raised alarms in the cloud security community. This article delves into the details of the claims, Oracle’s response, and the broader implications for cloud security.

What Happened?

CloudSEK, a cybersecurity research group, initially reported the breach on March 21, 2025, claiming that a hacker, known as “rose87168,” had posted 6 million stolen records on the dark web. According to CloudSEK’s blog post, the records included sensitive information such as Java Keystore (JKS) files, encrypted single sign-on (SSO) passwords, and key files related to Oracle Cloud’s infrastructure.

The hacker allegedly exploited a zero-day flaw in Oracle’s WebLogic platform, allowing unauthorized access to Oracle Cloud’s single sign-on (SSO) and lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) systems. CloudSEK’s investigation suggested that the breach affected over 140,000 tenants, with notable companies like FedEx, PayPal, Fortinet, and CloudFlare potentially being impacted.

In response to these claims, Oracle categorically denied that a breach had occurred. Oracle Director of Corporate Communications, Deborah Hellinger, stated that there had been “no breach of Oracle Cloud,” and the credentials posted were not related to Oracle Cloud services. The tech giant further asserted that no Oracle Cloud customers had lost any data.

Despite

Oracle’s Denial and CloudSEK’s Follow-Up

Oracle’s firm denial was met with skepticism from CloudSEK, which issued a follow-up blog post. The researchers argued that their findings were based on strong evidence, including interactions with the threat actor and confirmation of the authenticity of the breached data. They suggested that Oracle may have failed to properly assess the situation and promised to publish further details to assist in investigating the incident.

Moreover, CloudSEK provided an online tool for organizations to check whether they were affected by the alleged breach. The tool helped companies verify if their Oracle Cloud instances had been compromised, adding an additional layer of transparency to the investigation.

Vulnerability and the Broader Impact

The alleged breach points to a critical vulnerability in Oracle’s cloud infrastructure. According to CloudSEK, the hacker exploited a known vulnerability in Oracle’s Fusion Middleware (CVE-2021-35587) that affects Oracle Access Manager. This flaw could allow an attacker to compromise Oracle Access Manager via HTTP requests, potentially opening the door to more extensive attacks. However, the hacker has also hinted that the flaw used in this attack may be a public, zero-day vulnerability that affects all Oracle Cloud servers.

If proven true, the incident could have far-reaching implications for the security of cloud platforms, particularly with regard to third-party risks. Experts have warned that this breach, if confirmed, could become as significant as the SolarWinds attack of 2020, which shook the tech industry and forced businesses to reconsider their security strategies. The breach also highlights the risks inherent in relying on third-party cloud services, especially when sensitive data is involved.

What Undercode Says:

The controversy surrounding this alleged breach raises important questions about cloud security, third-party risks, and the transparency of major service providers like Oracle. While Oracle has denied the breach, the detailed evidence provided by CloudSEK cannot be easily dismissed. One of the most concerning aspects of this case is the potential exploitation of a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle’s WebLogic platform, which may have given the attacker a pathway to infiltrate Oracle Cloud services.

This incident sheds light on a critical issue facing modern cloud infrastructure: the lack of sufficient transparency and proactive communication from major providers when security incidents occur. Even if Oracle did not experience a breach, it is possible that vulnerabilities in its platform were exploited by malicious actors, putting client data at risk. This highlights the importance of third-party risk management and security practices in the cloud.

In many organizations, security risks are often assumed to be outsourced to the cloud service provider. However, incidents like this one reveal that the cloud provider may not always be fully transparent or accountable when security flaws are exposed. Companies relying on cloud services must take steps to secure their own infrastructure and protect sensitive data, even when using trusted third-party providers.

As the debate over this breach continues, it’s clear that organizations must reassess their security strategies. Stronger authentication protocols, better incident reporting systems, and improved security posture are essential to mitigate the risks posed by cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities. This is a wake-up call for both cloud providers and their customers, highlighting the need for better collaboration to secure the digital ecosystem.

Fact Checker Results:

The breach appears to involve Oracle Cloud, based on evidence gathered by CloudSEK, though Oracle denies the incident.
A potential zero-day vulnerability in Oracle WebLogic is cited as the likely cause of the breach.
The breach, if confirmed, could significantly impact cloud security and highlight third-party risks in cloud platforms.

In conclusion, the Oracle Cloud breach controversy is far from resolved. While Oracle denies the incident, the growing evidence from CloudSEK and other experts suggests that a serious security issue may have occurred. The case serves as an important reminder for businesses to prioritize their cybersecurity practices and consider the risks involved in relying on third-party cloud providers for sensitive data management.

References:

Reported By: https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/oracle-denies-claim-oracle-cloud-breach-6m-records
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