CVE-2018-2960 in Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management component of Oracle Construction and Engineering Suite (subcomponent: Web Access). Supported versions that are affected are 8.4, 15.x, 16.x and 17.x. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management accessible data as well as unauthorized read access to a subset of Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.1 (Confidentiality and Integrity impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2960 affects Oracle Construction and Engineering Suite's Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management component, specifically within the Web Access subcomponent. This security flaw exists in multiple version ranges including 8.4, 15.x, 16.x, and 17.x, representing a significant attack surface across the product lifecycle. The vulnerability operates at the network level through HTTP protocols, making it accessible to remote attackers without requiring authentication credentials or privileged access. The CVSS 3.0 scoring system rates this vulnerability as medium severity with a base score of 6.1, indicating that while exploitation is relatively straightforward, the impact on system integrity and confidentiality is substantial enough to warrant immediate attention.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the web interface of Primavera P6. Attackers can exploit this weakness through unauthenticated network connections, leveraging HTTP protocols to gain unauthorized access to the system's data management functions. The vulnerability requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or targeted phishing tactics may be necessary to trigger the exploitation process. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering methods used to gain initial access to systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the primary component, potentially affecting additional products within the Oracle Construction and Engineering Suite ecosystem, creating cascading security implications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it enables unauthorized modification of critical project data through update, insert, and delete operations on specific subsets of accessible data. Additionally, attackers can achieve unauthorized read access to sensitive project information, potentially compromising intellectual property, financial data, and strategic planning details. The confidentiality and integrity impacts are rated as low to moderate, suggesting that while not immediately catastrophic, the vulnerability allows for persistent unauthorized data manipulation that could severely disrupt project management workflows and compromise business operations. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284 which addresses improper access control in software systems, and represents a significant weakness in the application's authorization mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network-level restrictions such as firewall rules to limit HTTP access to the affected components, regular security patching and updates to the Primavera P6 system, and enhanced monitoring of web access logs for suspicious activity patterns. The implementation of multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to prevent unauthorized access even if the vulnerability is exploited. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive network segmentation to isolate critical project data and implement automated vulnerability scanning to detect similar weaknesses in the broader Oracle suite. The CVSS vector analysis indicates that while the attack complexity is low, the potential for widespread impact across multiple products makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Primavera P6 systems are integral to business operations and project delivery management processes.