CVE-2018-3281 in Construction
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, 15.1, 15.2, 16.1, 16.2, 17.7 - 17.12 and 18.8. 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).
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3281 resides within Oracle Construction and Engineering Suite's Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management component, specifically within the Web Access subcomponent. This flaw affects multiple version ranges including 8.4, 15.1, 15.2, 16.1, 16.2, 17.7 through 17.12, and 18.8, representing a significant attack surface across the product lifecycle. The vulnerability classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers can leverage this weakness with minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on this project management platform for critical business operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the web access layer, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain network-level access through HTTP protocols. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and authentication controls that should normally protect enterprise project portfolio management systems. The CVSS 3.0 score of 6.1 reflects the balance between the low attack complexity and the moderate impact on confidentiality and integrity, while the vector analysis shows that the attack requires network access with low complexity but necessitates human interaction from users other than the attacker. This human interaction component suggests that social engineering or targeted phishing approaches may be required to trigger the vulnerability successfully.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate Primavera P6 system to potentially affect additional products within the Oracle Construction and Engineering Suite ecosystem. This cascading effect demonstrates how vulnerabilities in one component can compromise interconnected systems, creating broader security implications for organizations that depend on integrated enterprise solutions. Successful exploitation grants attackers unauthorized access to modify or delete data within the system, while also enabling read access to sensitive project information that may include proprietary project details, resource allocations, and timeline configurations. The combination of confidentiality and integrity impacts suggests that attackers could not only view sensitive project data but also manipulate it to disrupt project planning, resource allocation, or timeline management processes.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through Oracle's security patches and updates, while implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected system. The vulnerability's classification under CWE categories related to insufficient authentication and weak session management aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework, particularly those involving credential access and privilege escalation. Additional mitigations should include enhanced network monitoring, implementation of web application firewalls, and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities across the enterprise infrastructure. The human interaction requirement suggests that user awareness training programs should be strengthened to prevent social engineering attacks that could exploit this weakness, while access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized personnel can access critical project management systems.