HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-6516
HIGH

CVE-2018-6516

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: June 14, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

On Windows only, with a specifically crafted configuration file an attacker could get Puppet PE client tools (aka pe-client-tools) 16.4.x prior to 16.4.6, 17.3.x prior to 17.3.6, and 18.1.x prior to 18.1.2 to load arbitrary code with privilege escalation.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-6516 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Microsoft1 product(s)
windows
puppet1 product(s)
puppet enterprise client tools
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://puppet.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-6516
ADVISORYhttps://puppet.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-6516

All References (2)

→
https://puppet.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-6516Vendor Advisory
→
https://puppet.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-6516Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-6516
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessNVD-CWE-noinfo
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 14, 2018

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-noinfo)

CVE-2003-1361
10.0
CVE-2013-6218
10.0
CVE-2003-0374
10.0
CVE-2003-1333
10.0
CVE-2003-0789
10.0
CVE-2003-1525
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-6516 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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