CVE-2014-1964 in Netweaver Exchange Infrastructure
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Integration Repository in the SAP Exchange Infrastructure (BC-XI) component in SAP NetWeaver allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to the ESR application and a DIR error.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1964 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Integration Repository component of SAP NetWeaver's Exchange Infrastructure. This security weakness exists specifically within the BC-XI module and poses significant risks to organizations relying on SAP integration platforms for business process automation. The vulnerability manifests through the ESR (Enterprise Services Repository) application when handling DIR (Directory Information Record) error conditions, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the SAP Exchange Infrastructure's error handling procedures. When the system encounters directory information record errors during integration processes, the error messages are not properly sanitized before being rendered in web interfaces. This failure allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the browser context of authenticated users who interact with the affected system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the integration repository level, where users often have elevated privileges and access to sensitive business data through the SAP NetWeaver platform.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially access confidential business information, modify data, or perform unauthorized transactions within the SAP environment. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the DIR error handling mechanism to inject JavaScript code that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The attack vector requires minimal privileges since it targets the web interface components of the SAP system rather than requiring direct system access or administrative credentials.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, output encoding of error messages, and enhanced web application firewall rules to filter malicious content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and follows attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the web application attack category. Security teams should prioritize patching the affected SAP NetWeaver components, implementing proper content security policies, and conducting comprehensive security testing of integration repository interfaces to prevent exploitation. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of suspicious traffic patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability within the SAP Exchange Infrastructure ecosystem.