CVE-2016-3638 in SLD Registration Program
Summary
by MITRE
SAP SLD Registration Program (aka SLDREG) allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and process termination) via a crafted HOST parameter, aka SAP Security Note 2125623.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3638 affects SAP SLD Registration Program, also known as SLDREG, which is a critical component within SAP NetWeaver infrastructure responsible for registering and managing system landscape data. This program serves as a central registry for SAP system information and plays a vital role in enterprise system management and monitoring. The flaw resides in how the SLDREG component processes the HOST parameter, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by local attackers to disrupt system operations. The vulnerability specifically manifests when a maliciously crafted HOST parameter is submitted to the registration program, leading to memory corruption and subsequent process termination.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the SLDREG program's parameter handling mechanism. When the HOST parameter is processed, the program fails to properly validate or sanitize the input data, allowing attackers to inject malformed data that triggers buffer overflows or memory corruption issues. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The lack of proper bounds checking and input sanitization creates an exploitable condition where crafted input can overwrite adjacent memory locations, ultimately causing the process to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it only requires local user privileges to exploit, making it accessible to anyone with system access rather than requiring external network connectivity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can significantly disrupt business continuity and system availability within SAP environments. When the SLDREG process terminates due to memory corruption, it affects the entire system landscape registration functionality, potentially causing cascading failures in related SAP processes and services. System administrators may experience unexpected service interruptions, and the disruption can propagate to other SAP components that depend on accurate system landscape information. The vulnerability's local exploitation requirement means that attackers who have already gained system access can leverage this weakness to escalate their impact, potentially creating persistent denial of service conditions that are difficult to detect and remediate. Organizations relying on SAP NetWeaver landscapes for critical business operations face substantial risk of operational disruption when this vulnerability is exploited.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-3638 should prioritize immediate application of SAP security patches and updates released through SAP Security Note 2125623, which specifically addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict input validation controls and parameter sanitization measures within their SAP environments to prevent malformed HOST parameters from reaching the SLDREG component. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit local system access to reduce exploitation risk, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual process termination patterns or memory corruption indicators. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of SLDREG across their SAP landscape and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. Additionally, implementing runtime application protection mechanisms and regular security audits can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process should align with industry best practices for vulnerability management and include verification procedures to confirm successful patch deployment and system stability. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege to minimize the attack surface and reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation through local user accounts.