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CVE-2016-2942 IBM CVE debrief

CVE-2016-2942 describes an access-control weakness in IBM UrbanCode Deploy where an authenticated attacker with special permissions could craft a script on the server in a way that causes processes to run on a remote UrbanCode Deploy agent machine. IBM and NVD classify the issue as high severity, with potential impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Vendor
IBM
Product
Urbancode Deploy
CVSS
HIGH 7.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-01
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-01
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Administrators and security teams operating IBM UrbanCode Deploy, especially environments that delegate elevated deployment or scripting permissions to application users. Any organization using affected UrbanCode Deploy releases should review who can create or modify scripts and who can trigger agent-side execution.

Technical summary

The NVD record maps this issue to CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and lists affected IBM UrbanCode Deploy versions from 6.0 through 6.2.2.1 in the supplied CPE data. The published CVSS v3.0 vector is AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating network reachability, low-privilege authentication requirements, and potentially severe business impact once the special permissions are misused.

Defensive priority

High. The flaw is not unauthenticated, but it can enable unauthorized execution on a remote agent once an attacker has the relevant account and permissions. Prioritize it in any UrbanCode Deploy deployment where script authoring or agent execution is broadly delegated.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Review IBM's advisory for the vendor-recommended patch or update path and apply the supported fix for your release line.
  • Audit UrbanCode Deploy roles and permissions so only explicitly authorized users can create or alter server-side scripts and trigger agent execution.
  • Reduce the number of accounts with the special permissions referenced by the advisory, and remove unnecessary delegation.
  • Monitor deployment and agent activity for unexpected script changes, unusual job launches, or execution initiated by accounts that do not normally use those capabilities.
  • If immediate patching is delayed, apply compensating controls around privileged workflow actions and increase logging on script and agent-execution events.

Evidence notes

This debrief is based only on the supplied NVD record and the IBM advisory link included in the corpus. The CVE published date used for timing is 2017-02-01T22:59:00.337Z, and the record was later modified on 2026-05-13T00:24:29.033Z. The corpus provides the vulnerability description, CVSS vector, CWE mapping, affected CPE entries, and references, but not a fixed-version matrix or exploit details.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-2942 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-2942

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-2942 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-2942

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.