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Urbancode DeployApplication · Ibm

CVE-2016-8938

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-02-01
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
IBM UrbanCode Deploy could allow a user to execute code using a specially crafted file upload that would replace code on the server. This code could be executed on the UCD agent machines that host customer's production applications.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

IBM UrbanCode Deploy contains a file upload vulnerability allowing authenticated users to upload specially crafted files that replace server-side code. When the replaced code is deployed to or executed by UCD agents, it runs with the privileges of the agent process on production application hosts, enabling remote code execution across the deployment infrastructure.

MitigationApply IBM's security patch for CVE-2016-8938 immediately. Until patched, limit UCD access to trusted users only and consider network isolating agent nodes from untrusted segments.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Urbancode DeployApplication
Affected:= 6.0= 6.0.1= 6.0.1.1= 6.0.1.2= 6.0.1.3= 6.0.1.4= 6.0.1.5= 6.0.1.6= 6.0.1.7= 6.0.1.8= 6.0.1.9= 6.0.1.10

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed IBM UrbanCode Deploy version
    Locate the UCD installation directory and check the version manifest or about page. Common locations: <UCD_HOME>/var/conf/version.txt or through the web UI at /ibm/ucd/about
    Affected if The installed version equals 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1.1, 6.0.1.2, 6.0.1.3, 6.0.1.4, 6.0.1.5, 6.0.1.6, 6.0.1.7, 6.0.1.8, 6.0.1.9, or 6.0.1.10
  2. Verify authentication configuration for the UCD server
    Review the user authentication settings in the UCD web console under Settings > User Management. Determine how many users have permissions to upload artifacts or create components
    Affected if Multiple authenticated users or untrusted accounts have upload or component creation permissions
  3. Inspect agent connectivity and configuration
    Check the Agents page in the UCD console. Review which agents are registered and their communication status with the UCD server
    Affected if Any UCD agents are connected and able to execute deployed code on remote hosts
  4. Audit recent component version uploads and deployments
    Review the deployment history and component version logs in the UCD console. Look for unexpected uploads or deployments, especially of artifact types that could contain executable code
    Affected if Suspicious or unauthorized component version uploads exist in the system

The environment is affected if the installed IBM UrbanCode Deploy version matches one of the vulnerable versions listed AND authenticated users with upload permissions exist in the system.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch www.ibm.com →
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM's security patch for CVE-2016-8938 immediately. Until patched, limit UCD access to trusted users only and consider network isolating agent nodes from untrusted segments.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

IBM UrbanCode Deploy 6.0.2 or later (or IBM interim fix as specified in security bulletin)

  1. 1. Review the IBM security bulletin at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg2C1000237 for the specific interim fix or patched version
  2. 2. Download and install the fixed version of IBM UrbanCode Deploy (version 6.0.2 or later, or the specific interim fix referenced in the bulletin)
  3. 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment before deploying to production
  4. 4. Back up the current installation and configuration data before performing the upgrade
  5. 5. Apply the upgrade to the server and all affected agent machines
  6. 6. Verify the fix by attempting to upload a file with the malicious payload pattern and confirming it is rejected
Caveat Review IBM's release notes for 6.0.2 for any compatibility or configuration changes that may affect existing deployments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Urbancode Deploy Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
Get the patch applied

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-8938 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data