CVE-2014-5506 in Crystal Reports
Summary
by MITRE
Double free vulnerability in SAP Crystal Reports allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted connection string record in an RPT file.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2018
The CVE-2014-5506 vulnerability represents a critical double free vulnerability within SAP Crystal Reports software that exposes systems to remote code execution attacks. This flaw exists in the handling of connection string records within RPT files, which are the native report files used by SAP Crystal Reports for creating and displaying business intelligence reports. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where the software fails to properly validate or sanitize connection string parameters before processing them, leading to a scenario where the same memory block gets freed twice during the report processing lifecycle.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious RPT file containing a specially formatted connection string record that triggers the double free condition in the memory management subsystem of SAP Crystal Reports. When the vulnerable software processes this crafted file, the improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation causes the application to free the same memory location twice, resulting in a heap corruption condition. This heap corruption can be leveraged by attackers to overwrite critical memory structures and ultimately execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised application process. The vulnerability specifically affects SAP Crystal Reports versions prior to 14.0.5 and 13.0.12, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these older versions remain in production use.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5506 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it can enable attackers to gain persistent access to enterprise networks through lateral movement and privilege escalation. The vulnerability's remote attack vector means that attackers can exploit it without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where report files are shared across network drives or processed through automated report generation systems. Organizations using SAP Crystal Reports for business intelligence and reporting are at risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential full network infiltration when this vulnerability remains unpatched. The attack surface is further expanded due to the widespread adoption of SAP Crystal Reports in enterprise environments, where report files may be processed by multiple systems and users throughout the organization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5506 should prioritize immediate patching of affected SAP Crystal Reports installations to the latest available versions that contain the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies for RPT files, particularly those received from external sources or processed through automated systems, by implementing content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms to prevent execution of potentially malicious report files. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of SAP Crystal Reports to trusted environments and establish regular vulnerability assessment procedures to identify and remediate similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-415 which describes improper deallocation of memory and relates to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to establish persistent command execution capabilities within compromised systems.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in enterprise software and highlights the need for robust input validation and sanitization practices throughout the software development lifecycle. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their SAP environments and ensure that all third-party applications receive timely security updates to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Regular security training for IT staff and security awareness programs should emphasize the risks associated with processing untrusted report files and the importance of maintaining current software patches to protect against known exploits like CVE-2014-5506.