CVE-2015-6507 in HANA
Summary
by MITRE
The hdbsql client 1.00.091.00 Build 1418659308-1530 in SAP HANA allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) and possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors, aka SAP Security Note 2140700.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6507 affects the hdbsql client version 1.00.091.00 Build 1418659308-1530 in SAP HANA systems, representing a critical security flaw that enables local attackers to trigger memory corruption conditions leading to denial of service scenarios. This vulnerability resides within the client-side component of SAP HANA's database management system and specifically impacts the hdbsql utility which serves as a command-line interface for database operations. The issue manifests through unknown vectors that remain unspecified in the initial vulnerability report, indicating the complexity and potentially sophisticated nature of the underlying flaw. According to SAP Security Note 2140700, this vulnerability affects the integrity of the system's memory management and can potentially result in more severe consequences beyond simple service disruption.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs within the context of local user access, meaning that an attacker must already have local system privileges or be able to execute code on the target system. This limitation reduces the attack surface compared to remote exploits but still represents a significant security risk since local access often indicates compromised system integrity or insider threat scenarios. The memory corruption aspect suggests that the vulnerability involves improper handling of memory allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within the hdbsql client implementation. Such flaws typically arise from buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors that can cause the application to crash or behave unpredictably. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description indicate that beyond the immediate denial of service, the memory corruption could potentially enable privilege escalation, information disclosure, or other security breaches that are not fully documented in the initial report.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6507 extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise the entire database client environment and underlying system stability. When memory corruption occurs, it can lead to application crashes that disrupt legitimate database operations and require system restarts or manual intervention to restore normal functionality. The local nature of the attack means that organizations must ensure proper access controls and system monitoring to detect unauthorized local access attempts. From an enterprise security perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant concern for SAP HANA deployments since the hdbsql client is commonly used for database administration and development tasks. The potential for privilege escalation or information disclosure through memory corruption makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where local users might have elevated privileges or where the client application runs with administrative permissions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflows, both of which are common sources of memory corruption in client applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-6507 should focus on immediate patching of the affected hdbsql client version through SAP security updates and patches. Organizations must ensure that all systems running SAP HANA client components are updated to versions that address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit local access to systems running the vulnerable client, particularly in environments where multiple users or processes interact with the database. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual process behavior or application crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability relates to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion, as attackers might attempt to use memory corruption to gain elevated system privileges or hide malicious activities. System administrators should implement comprehensive logging of client application usage and monitor for anomalous memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any other potentially affected components within the SAP HANA ecosystem that might share similar memory management vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include verification of patch integrity and confirmation that the vulnerable client version has been completely removed or replaced with patched versions to prevent any potential bypass or partial remediation scenarios.