CVE-2016-6142 in HANA DB
Summary
by MITRE
SAP HANA DB 1.00.73.00.389160 (NewDB100_REL) allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary audit trail fields into the SYSLOG via vectors related to the SQL protocol, aka SAP Security Note 2197459.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2022
SAP HANA Database version 1.00.73.00.389160 contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote attackers to manipulate audit trail data through the SQL protocol interface. This vulnerability specifically affects the system's logging mechanisms and allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary audit trail fields into the SYSLOG, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on SAP HANA for their database operations. The flaw exists within the database's handling of SQL protocol communications and represents a serious compromise of the system's integrity and audit capabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the SQL protocol handler responsible for processing audit trail data. When the database receives SQL commands containing specially crafted audit trail parameters, it fails to properly validate or sanitize these inputs before incorporating them into the system log. This allows attackers to inject malicious data into the audit trail, potentially masking their activities or creating false log entries that could obscure legitimate security events. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard database connection mechanisms without requiring elevated privileges or specialized access.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6142 extends far beyond simple data corruption, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the system's audit trail capabilities. Organizations relying on SAP HANA for compliance monitoring, security incident response, and forensic analysis face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited. Attackers can manipulate audit logs to hide their presence, create false positive alerts, or even inject malicious entries that could confuse security analysts during incident investigations. This vulnerability directly impacts the system's ability to provide reliable security monitoring and compliance reporting, potentially leading to regulatory violations and increased exposure to further attacks. The compromised audit trail makes it extremely difficult for security teams to maintain accurate records of system activities and detect unauthorized access attempts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant SAP Security Note 2197459, which provides specific patches and configuration changes to address the vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of SAP HANA systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous audit trail entries. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation," and maps to ATT&CK technique T1070.001, "Indicator Removal on Host: Clear Windows Event Logs," as it enables similar capabilities for manipulating system logging data. System administrators should also consider implementing additional logging and monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on suspicious audit trail modifications, as the standard SAP HANA logging mechanisms become unreliable when this vulnerability is present.