CVE-2016-3568 in Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management component in Oracle Primavera Products Suite 8.3, 8.4, 15.1, 15.2, and 16.1 allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality and integrity via vectors related to Web access, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-3566, CVE-2016-3569, CVE-2016-3570, CVE-2016-3571, and CVE-2016-3573.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3568 affects Oracle Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management, a critical project management solution widely used in enterprise environments for portfolio planning and resource allocation. This component represents a significant security weakness within the broader Primavera Products Suite that encompasses versions 8.3, 8.4, 15.1, 15.2, and 16.1, making it a substantial concern for organizations relying on these project management platforms for critical business operations. The vulnerability specifically resides within the web access functionality of the application, indicating that remote exploitation is possible through internet-facing interfaces that handle project data and portfolio management requests.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the web-based interface of Primavera P6. Attackers can leverage this weakness to manipulate data integrity and potentially access confidential information through remote connections without requiring local system access or elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates through web-based attack vectors that bypass traditional network security controls, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is exposed to external networks. This weakness allows for unauthorized modification of project data, potentially leading to compromised project timelines, resource allocations, and financial planning information that organizations depend upon for strategic decision-making.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3568 extends beyond simple data corruption or confidentiality breaches, as it can severely compromise business continuity and strategic planning processes. Organizations utilizing Primavera P6 for enterprise project portfolio management may face significant disruptions when project data becomes compromised, potentially affecting multi-million dollar initiatives and stakeholder confidence. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these systems from anywhere on the internet, eliminating the need for physical access or insider knowledge of network configurations. This characteristic aligns with attack patterns commonly associated with cyber threat actors targeting enterprise software solutions, particularly those used in critical infrastructure and financial sectors where project portfolio management directly impacts business operations and regulatory compliance requirements.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and potentially CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) within the Common Weakness Enumeration taxonomy, representing fundamental security flaws that enable unauthorized data manipulation and information disclosure. The attack surface identified in the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1566 (Phishing) when considering how attackers might initially gain access to the system before exploiting this specific weakness. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the affected systems, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter traffic, and comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive project data. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution risk, while not explicitly stated, suggests that additional security controls should be implemented to prevent potential escalation to full system compromise. Regular security assessments and patch management procedures should be prioritized to address this weakness and prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in future attack campaigns, particularly given the widespread adoption of Primavera P6 across enterprise environments and the critical nature of project portfolio management data.