CVE-2016-3555 in Agile PLM
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle Agile PLM component in Oracle Supply Chain Products Suite 9.3.4 and 9.3.5 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via vectors related to PGC / Excel Plugin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3555 resides within the Oracle Agile PLM component of Oracle Supply Chain Products Suite version 9.3.4 and 9.3.5, representing a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to compromise both confidentiality and integrity of affected systems. This vulnerability specifically manifests through issues related to the PGC/Excel Plugin functionality, which serves as a critical integration point for product data management and collaboration within supply chain environments. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability details suggests a complex underlying flaw that could potentially encompass multiple attack vectors or exploitation techniques, making it particularly challenging to defend against without comprehensive understanding of the specific implementation details.
The technical flaw within the Oracle Agile PLM component stems from inadequate input validation and processing mechanisms within the PGC/Excel Plugin module, which allows malicious actors to manipulate data flows and potentially execute unauthorized operations. This weakness creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code or manipulate data structures during the Excel plugin integration process, thereby compromising the integrity of product lifecycle management data. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network presence to leverage this weakness, significantly expanding the potential attack surface and threat landscape. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption, as the compromise of confidentiality and integrity simultaneously undermines the trustworthiness of critical product information that drives supply chain operations.
From an operational perspective, the exploitation of this vulnerability can result in severe consequences for organizations relying on Oracle Agile PLM for their product data management needs. The compromise of confidentiality could lead to unauthorized access to proprietary product designs, manufacturing specifications, and strategic business information that would otherwise remain protected within the supply chain ecosystem. Meanwhile, the integrity compromise allows attackers to modify critical product data, potentially leading to manufacturing errors, quality control failures, or even safety hazards if the manipulated data affects product specifications or compliance requirements. Organizations using this software in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, or aerospace could face significant regulatory compliance issues and potential legal consequences from data integrity breaches.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework, particularly focusing on persistence and privilege escalation techniques that attackers might employ through compromised PLM systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE categories related to insufficient input validation and improper error handling, which are fundamental weaknesses that attackers frequently target in enterprise applications. Organizations should implement layered defensive measures including network segmentation to isolate PLM systems, regular security assessments of plugin integrations, and monitoring for anomalous data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation approach should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle Agile PLM versions while also implementing additional controls such as application whitelisting, database activity monitoring, and regular vulnerability scanning to prevent similar issues from emerging in other components of the supply chain suite.