CVE-2013-6822 in NetWeaver
Summary
by MITRE
GRMGApp in SAP NetWeaver allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact and attack vectors, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6822 resides within the GRMGApp component of SAP NetWeaver, representing a critical security flaw that exposes organizations to significant remote attack surface. This issue stems from improper handling of XML data processing within the application's architecture, creating potential entry points for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's XML parsing mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as an XML External Entity (XXE) issue places it squarely within the scope of well-documented attack patterns that have plagued enterprise applications for over a decade.
The technical flaw manifests when the GRMGApp component processes XML input without adequate validation or sanitization of external entity references. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious XML payloads that can trigger unintended behavior within the application's processing pipeline. When the system encounters external entity declarations within XML documents, it may resolve these references to external resources, potentially enabling attackers to access internal system files, perform server-side request forgery attacks, or conduct denial of service operations. The unspecified impact and attack vectors associated with this vulnerability indicate that the flaw could enable multiple types of malicious activities depending on the specific implementation details and target environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations utilizing SAP NetWeaver systems, as it allows remote attackers to potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources. The XXE vulnerability can be exploited from outside the organization's network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments that rely on external connectivity. Attackers could leverage this weakness to extract confidential information from internal servers, bypass authentication mechanisms, or disrupt normal business operations through denial of service conditions. The remote exploit capability means that threat actors do not require physical access or insider knowledge to target vulnerable systems, significantly expanding the potential attack surface.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected SAP NetWeaver installations to the latest security releases provided by SAP. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict unnecessary XML processing capabilities and limit external access to vulnerable components. Input validation controls must be strengthened to prevent processing of untrusted XML data, while proper XML parser configurations should disable external entity resolution and DTD processing. Security monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous XML processing patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and represents a common attack vector categorized under ATT&CK technique T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) within the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar XXE vulnerabilities across the entire SAP ecosystem and prevent similar issues from emerging in other components of the enterprise infrastructure.