CVE-2007-3496 in Netweaver Nw04s
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SAP Web Dynpro Java (BC-WD-JAV) in SAP NetWeaver Nw04 SP15 through SP19 and Nw04s SP7 through SP11, aka SAP Java Technology Services 640 before SP20 and SAP Web Dynpro Runtime Core Components 700 before SP12, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the User-Agent HTTP header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2017
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within SAP Web Dynpro Java components of the SAP NetWeaver platform, specifically affecting versions ranging from NW04 SP15 through SP19 and NW04s SP7 through SP11. The flaw resides in the improper handling of user input within the User-Agent HTTP header, which is typically used by web browsers to identify themselves to servers. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which represents Cross-Site Scripting, a critical web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability impacts the SAP Java Technology Services 640 component before SP20 and SAP Web Dynpro Runtime Core Components 700 before SP12, representing a significant security gap in SAP's web application framework.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious User-Agent header containing executable script code that gets processed and reflected back to other users without proper input sanitization. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML content in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability leverages the fact that the Web Dynpro Java framework fails to adequately escape or validate the User-Agent header content before rendering it in web responses, creating an injection point that violates fundamental web security principles. This issue is particularly concerning because the User-Agent header is automatically populated by browsers and often contains characters that could be interpreted as HTML or script elements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors such as session manipulation and privilege escalation within the SAP environment. Attackers can craft malicious User-Agent strings that, when processed by the vulnerable SAP components, can execute malicious JavaScript in the victim's browser context. This creates opportunities for data exfiltration, authentication bypass attempts, and potential lateral movement within the SAP ecosystem. The vulnerability affects the core runtime components of SAP Web Dynpro applications, meaning that any application built on these frameworks could be compromised, potentially affecting business-critical processes and sensitive data handling within enterprise SAP deployments. Organizations using affected SAP versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the relevant SAP security patches and hotfixes that address this vulnerability in the SAP Java Technology Services and Web Dynpro Runtime Core Components. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth by filtering malicious User-Agent headers, though this approach should not replace proper patch management. Input validation and output encoding should be implemented at the application level to sanitize all user-supplied data, particularly headers that are not directly user-controlled. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the prevention of XSS vulnerabilities through proper input validation and output encoding. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected SAP components and ensure proper security hardening of their SAP environments. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for continuous security monitoring and patch management processes, as it represents a persistent risk to enterprise web applications that could be exploited for significant business impact.