CVE-2017-9845 in NetWeaver
Summary
by MITRE
disp+work 7400.12.21.30308 in SAP NetWeaver 7.40 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via a crafted DIAG request, aka SAP Security Note 2405918.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9845 affects SAP NetWeaver 7.40 version 7400.12.21.30308 and specifically targets the disp+work component within the SAP NetWeaver environment. This issue represents a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack through carefully constructed DIAG requests. The vulnerability is catalogued under SAP Security Note 2405918, which provides detailed technical information about the flaw and its potential impact on enterprise systems. The affected component operates as part of SAP's distributed processing architecture, managing work processes and system diagnostics that are critical for maintaining operational continuity in enterprise environments.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation within the DIAG request handling mechanism of the disp+work process. When a maliciously crafted DIAG request is submitted to the vulnerable SAP NetWeaver system, the processing logic fails to adequately validate or sanitize the incoming data parameters. This validation gap allows attackers to construct requests that trigger excessive resource consumption patterns within the system's memory management and processing units. The vulnerability specifically exploits the way the system handles diagnostic queries, where the malformed input causes the work processes to consume disproportionate amounts of system resources including CPU cycles, memory allocation, and processing time. The flaw operates at the application layer and does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any remote attacker with network access to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete system unavailability and cascading failures within SAP NetWeaver environments. When exploited successfully, the denial of service condition causes the affected work processes to become unresponsive or consume all available system resources, effectively rendering the application unavailable to legitimate users. This resource exhaustion can result in system crashes, process termination, and extended downtime that can significantly impact business operations. Organizations relying on SAP NetWeaver for mission-critical applications face substantial risk of operational disruption, potential data loss, and financial impact due to extended service interruptions. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be classified as a resource exhaustion attack pattern that aligns with attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the resource exhaustion category.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9845 should focus on immediate patching and configuration hardening measures. SAP released security patches and updates in accordance with SAP Security Note 2405918 that address the validation flaw in the DIAG request handling mechanism. Organizations should prioritize applying these patches to all affected systems and verify the successful implementation through proper testing procedures. Network-level mitigations include implementing firewall rules and access controls to restrict access to diagnostic ports and services, particularly for systems that do not require direct DIAG access. Additionally, monitoring and logging configurations should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in diagnostic request processing that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, aligning with CWE-20 standards for input validation failures and CWE-400 for improper resource management. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems and security information event management solutions to monitor for exploitation patterns and maintain compliance with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 requirements for vulnerability management and incident response.