CVE-2017-16681 in Business Intelligence Promotion Management Applicatio
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SAP Business Intelligence Promotion Management Application, Enterprise 4.10, 4.20, 4.30, as user controlled inputs are not sufficiently encoded.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2019
The CVE-2017-16681 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within SAP Business Intelligence Promotion Management Application across multiple versions including 4.10, 4.20, and 4.30. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing and rendering within the application's web interface. The flaw exists in the Enterprise 4.10, 4.20, and 4.30 releases of SAP Business Intelligence Promotion Management Application, making these versions particularly susceptible to malicious input injection attacks that could compromise the integrity of the application and its underlying data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application through user-controlled input fields that are subsequently rendered in the web interface without proper encoding or sanitization. When users interact with the application and encounter these maliciously injected scripts, the browser executes them in the context of the authenticated user's session, potentially enabling unauthorized actions or data exfiltration. This weakness specifically manifests in the application's handling of user inputs within the promotion management functionality where data enters the system through various interactive elements and is processed without adequate protection mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a common web application security flaw occurring when applications fail to properly encode output or validate input data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, manipulate data within the promotion management system, or even escalate privileges within the application. An attacker could craft malicious payloads that appear legitimate to end users, potentially leading to widespread compromise of the business intelligence system's data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on SAP Business Intelligence Promotion Management for critical business operations, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to promotional data, campaign analytics, and user information. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that this vulnerability affects multiple versions of the application, increasing the potential exposure for organizations with various system configurations.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patching of affected SAP versions, deployment of web application firewalls, and enhancement of input validation mechanisms within the application. The remediation process should focus on implementing proper output encoding for all user-supplied data and establishing robust input sanitization routines that prevent malicious scripts from being executed. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities within the SAP ecosystem. Additionally, organizations should conduct user awareness training to recognize potentially malicious input patterns and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous behavior within the promotion management application. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both known and emerging threats in enterprise business intelligence systems.
The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for script injection, specifically targeting web applications through cross-site scripting vectors. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for secure coding practices and proper input validation in enterprise web applications, particularly those handling sensitive business intelligence data.