CVE-2015-7730 in BusinessObjects BI Platform
Summary
by MITRE
SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1, BusinessObjects Edge 4.0, and BusinessObjects XI (BOXI) 3.1 R3 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and listener crash) via a crafted GIOP packet, aka SAP Security Note 2001108.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform versions 4.1, BusinessObjects Edge 4.0, and BusinessObjects XI (BOXI) 3.1 R3 contain a critical vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through crafted GIOP packets. This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in the communication protocols used by these business intelligence platforms, potentially compromising system availability and operational continuity for organizations relying on SAP business intelligence solutions. The issue specifically affects the handling of General Inter-ORB Protocol (GIOP) messages, which are fundamental to CORBA-based communication within SAP systems.
The technical flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the system processes malformed GIOP packets. This memory access violation triggers a listener crash, effectively disrupting the normal operation of the SAP BusinessObjects services. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the GIOP message processing components, allowing attackers to craft malicious packets that exploit memory access patterns beyond allocated buffers. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to system instability and potential information disclosure. The flaw essentially allows attackers to manipulate the memory management of the application, causing unpredictable behavior and service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can severely affect business intelligence operations and data processing workflows. Organizations using affected SAP versions may experience complete service outages, requiring manual intervention to restart affected services and potentially leading to extended downtime for critical business reporting and analytics functions. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring authentication or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a critical threat to system availability and business continuity. The impact is especially severe for organizations that depend on real-time business intelligence reporting and analytics, where even brief service interruptions can result in significant operational and financial consequences.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate application of SAP security patches and updates released under SAP Security Note 2001108, which specifically address the GIOP packet handling vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while also deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious GIOP traffic patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software versions, and network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing application-level firewalls or proxies that can filter and validate incoming GIOP traffic before it reaches the vulnerable SAP services, providing an additional layer of protection against this specific attack vector.