CVE-2014-5172 in HANA
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the XS Administration Tools in SAP HANA allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5172 represents a critical security flaw within the XS Administration Tools component of SAP HANA database systems. This issue falls under the category of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that specifically affect the administrative interface of SAP HANA, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets administrative tools that are designed to provide privileged access to system configuration and management functions, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate privileges or compromise entire database environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the XS Administration Tools framework. Attackers can exploit unspecified vectors to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content that will be executed in the browser of authenticated users who access the administration interface. This allows for a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the SAP HANA environment. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Cross-Site Scripting, which specifically addresses the improper handling of untrusted input that can result in arbitrary code execution in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5172 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive database configurations and potentially compromise the entire SAP HANA infrastructure. When administrators access the vulnerable administration tools, their browsers become susceptible to executing malicious payloads that can persistently compromise their sessions. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on SAP HANA for business-critical operations, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to enterprise data. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that these tools are typically accessible to users with administrative privileges, making the potential impact severe for organizations that have not properly secured their SAP HANA implementations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant SAP security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, as well as implementing network segmentation to limit access to the XS Administration Tools to only authorized personnel. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation at the application level, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious traffic, and conducting regular security assessments of SAP HANA environments to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 as "Phishing with Social Engineering" and T1071 as "Application Layer Protocol" since attackers can leverage these XSS vulnerabilities to establish persistent access through compromised administrative sessions. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access to SAP HANA systems and establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.