CVE-2018-6489
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 · uneditedXML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in Micro Focus Project and Portfolio Management Center, version 9.32. This vulnerability can be exploited to allow XML External Entity (XXE)
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 · moderate confidenceXML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in Micro Focus Project and Portfolio Management Center version 9.32 allowing injection of malicious external entities through XML input. The critical CVSS score of 9.8 indicates trivial exploitability with potential for complete system compromise through file disclosure or server-side request forgery.
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= 9.32CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify PPM Center installation versionLocate the Micro Focus Project and Portfolio Management Center installation directory and check the version manifest, about page, or version file. Common paths include the installation root or admin interface version display.Affected if The installed version is exactly 9.32
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Confirm XML upload or import feature is accessibleCheck if the PPM Center web interface or API exposes endpoints that accept XML input, such as XML upload forms, import wizards, or REST endpoints consuming XML content.Affected if XML input functionality is enabled and accessible to users
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Review XML parser configurationExamine the application server (typically Tomcat or WebSphere) XML parser settings and PPM configuration files for external entity processing settings. Look for parser configuration files in the config directory.Affected if The XML parser has external entity processing enabled (DTD processing not disabled)
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Test for XXE vulnerability (optional proof-of-concept)Submit a benign XXE payload to XML input endpoints (such as an XML import feature) with an external entity reference to verify the vulnerability exists. Use a controlled external DTD.Affected if The application processes external entities and returns content from the referenced external source
A user is affected if Micro Focus PPM Center version 9.32 is installed and XML input/upload features are accessible with external entity processing enabled in the parser.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataDisable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration and implement strict input validation for XML uploads. Apply vendor patches if available or upgrade from version 9.32.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-6489 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-6489 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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