CVE-2014-6252 in NetWeaver
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in disp+work.exe 7000.52.12.34966 and 7200.117.19.50294 in the Dispatcher in SAP NetWeaver 7.00 and 7.20 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6252 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the disp+work.exe process of SAP NetWeaver 7.00 and 7.20 systems. This particular executable serves as a core component of SAP's application server architecture, responsible for process management and workload distribution across the enterprise computing environment. The affected versions, specifically 7000.52.12.34966 and 7200.117.19.50294, contain a memory corruption vulnerability that manifests within the Dispatcher module, which acts as the central coordinator for managing incoming requests and distributing them to appropriate worker processes. The flaw occurs when the system fails to properly validate input data before processing it within the memory buffers allocated for handling communication between client applications and the SAP backend services.
The technical nature of this buffer overflow vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking within the disp+work.exe binary, allowing maliciously crafted input data to overwrite adjacent memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This memory corruption can occur during normal operational procedures when authenticated users submit specially constructed requests to the SAP system. The vulnerability's classification as remote authenticated indicates that attackers do not require physical access to the system but must possess valid credentials to exploit the flaw. The attack vector operates through the standard SAP communication protocols and can be leveraged by attackers who have established legitimate user sessions within the system. According to CWE standards, this represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) that falls under the category of memory safety issues, specifically involving heap-based buffer overflows that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6252 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable complete system compromise through remote code execution. When exploited successfully, the buffer overflow can allow authenticated attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the SAP application server process, potentially escalating privileges and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive enterprise data. The denial of service aspect affects system availability by causing the disp+work.exe process to crash or become unresponsive, leading to complete service disruption for all SAP applications relying on that particular instance. Organizations running affected SAP NetWeaver versions face significant risk of data breaches, system downtime, and operational disruption that can result in substantial financial losses and regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability's exploitation can also facilitate lateral movement within the enterprise network, as SAP systems often serve as central hubs connecting multiple business applications and databases. This threat aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence, as successful exploitation can establish attacker-controlled processes that maintain access to the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6252 require immediate implementation of SAP security patches and updates released specifically to address this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize applying the relevant SAP Note 2035425 and related security fixes that contain the necessary code modifications to prevent buffer overflow conditions in the disp+work.exe process. System administrators must implement comprehensive monitoring of SAP application server logs to detect unusual patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on authentication events and process behavior anomalies. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the potential attack surface and reduce the likelihood of authenticated attackers reaching vulnerable SAP systems. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software versions within the enterprise infrastructure. The implementation of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malicious communication patterns targeting SAP systems provides an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle SAP-related security incidents and maintain detailed documentation of all system configurations and patch management activities to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and facilitate forensic analysis if incidents occur.