CVE-2015-2076 in Businessobjects Edge
Summary
by MITRE
The Auditing service in SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.0 allows remote attackers to obtains sensitive information by reading an audit event, aka SAP Note 2011395.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2076 resides within the auditing service of SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.0, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive audit data to unauthorized remote attackers. This vulnerability specifically affects the audit event reading functionality, which should normally be protected and restricted to authorized personnel only. The flaw enables malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and retrieve audit logs that contain potentially sensitive information about system activities, user behaviors, and operational events within the SAP environment. Such information disclosure can provide attackers with valuable insights into system operations, user patterns, and potential security weaknesses that could be leveraged for further exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes improper information exposure as a fundamental flaw in access control mechanisms. The auditing service in SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.0 is designed to track and record system events for security monitoring and compliance purposes, but the implementation contains a critical flaw in its authorization checks. When remote attackers exploit this vulnerability, they can access audit event data that typically should be restricted to system administrators or security personnel with proper clearance. This represents a breakdown in the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate access control validation within the application's security architecture.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the risk profile for organizations using SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.0, as it provides attackers with access to detailed audit trails that may contain sensitive information such as user credentials, system access patterns, transaction details, and security event logs. The exposure of audit data can compromise the integrity of the organization's security monitoring capabilities, as attackers can potentially identify successful attack vectors, understand system behavior, and plan more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability particularly affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as it enables unauthorized disclosure of information that should remain protected within the system's security framework.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the retrieved audit data can be used for advanced persistent threat activities, social engineering attacks, or as part of a multi-stage attack strategy. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability relates to T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing for Information) techniques, as attackers can use the exposed audit information to craft more convincing social engineering campaigns or identify potential targets within the organization. Organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring and access controls around audit data, as the vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model of the auditing service. The recommended mitigation includes applying the relevant SAP security note 2011395, which provides specific patches and configuration changes to address the access control weakness in the auditing service. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation, restrict remote access to audit services, and consider additional logging and monitoring of audit service access attempts to detect potential exploitation attempts.