CVE-2015-7992 in HANA DB
Summary
by MITRE
SAP HANA DB 1.00.73.00.389160 (NewDB100_REL) allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and indexserver crash) via unspecified vectors to the EXECUTE_SEARCH_RULE_SET stored procedure, aka SAP Security Note 2175928.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7992 affects SAP HANA Database version 1.00.73.00.389160 and represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited by remote authenticated attackers. This flaw specifically targets the EXECUTE_SEARCH_RULE_SET stored procedure within the database system, creating a condition where maliciously crafted inputs can trigger memory corruption issues leading to indexserver crashes. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and error handling in database management systems, particularly those handling complex search operations and rule execution processes. Organizations utilizing SAP HANA systems must understand that this weakness can be leveraged to disrupt database operations and potentially impact business continuity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of inputs passed to the EXECUTE_SEARCH_RULE_SET stored procedure. When authenticated users submit specially crafted parameters to this procedure, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the data before processing, resulting in memory corruption conditions. This type of flaw typically arises from buffer overflow conditions or improper memory management during search rule processing, where the database engine does not adequately check the bounds of input data before attempting to execute complex search operations. The vulnerability operates at the application level within the database engine, specifically targeting the indexserver component which manages database indexing and search functionality. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to destabilize database operations through carefully constructed search rule sets.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7992 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise database availability and integrity. When the indexserver crashes due to memory corruption, database services become temporarily unavailable, affecting all applications and users dependent on the SAP HANA system. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. This weakness can be classified under CWE-121 as a heap-based buffer overflow condition, where insufficient bounds checking leads to memory corruption. The attack vector specifically aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, where adversaries target database systems to disrupt service availability. Organizations may experience significant downtime and potential data access issues during and after exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7992 should prioritize immediate implementation of SAP security notes and patches as recommended in SAP Security Note 2175928. System administrators must ensure that all SAP HANA systems are updated to versions that address this specific vulnerability, as the flaw exists in the targeted release version. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the number of authenticated users who can access the EXECUTE_SEARCH_RULE_SET procedure, reducing the attack surface. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in search rule execution and indexserver behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Input validation measures should be strengthened at the application level to prevent malformed data from reaching the vulnerable stored procedure, implementing proper parameter validation and sanitization. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other database procedures and stored functions that may present similar attack vectors.