CVE-2016-1928 in HANA
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the XS engine (hdbxsengine) in SAP HANA allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTTP request, related to JSON, aka SAP Security Note 2241978.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1928 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the XS engine component of SAP HANA database systems. This issue specifically affects the hdbxsengine process which handles HTTP requests and processes JSON data structures. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the XS engine's JSON parsing functionality, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered through malformed HTTP requests. The flaw exists in the way the system handles incoming JSON payloads, where improper bounds checking allows attackers to overflow allocated memory buffers and potentially overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a specially formatted HTTP request containing malformed JSON data that exceeds the allocated buffer space within the XS engine. This buffer overflow condition can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the affected system or cause a denial of service through process crashes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring authentication, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can send HTTP requests to the SAP HANA system. The attack vector specifically targets the JSON processing capabilities of the XS engine, which is a core component responsible for handling web-based applications and services within SAP HANA environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to include potential system compromise and data exposure. When successfully exploited, the buffer overflow can allow attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the XS engine process, which typically runs with elevated permissions within the SAP HANA environment. This could lead to complete system compromise, data theft, or the establishment of persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. Organizations utilizing SAP HANA systems are particularly vulnerable since the XS engine is integral to many SAP applications and services, making the attack surface wide-ranging and potentially affecting critical business operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant SAP security patches and updates as specified in SAP Security Note 2241978. Network-level defenses should include implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and block suspicious HTTP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communication and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage the initial exploitation to gain deeper system access. Regular security assessments and network monitoring should be conducted to identify potential exploitation attempts, while implementing proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future system configurations.