CVE-2018-2369 in HANA
Summary
by MITRE
Under certain conditions SAP HANA, 1.00, 2.00, allows an unauthenticated attacker to access information which would otherwise be restricted. An attacker can misuse the authentication function of the SAP HANA server on its SQL interface and disclose 8 bytes of the server process memory. The attacker cannot influence or predict the location of the leaked memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2369 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within SAP HANA database systems across versions 1.00 and 2.00. This security weakness specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of the SAP HANA server when accessed through its SQL interface, creating a pathway for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data from the server process memory. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of authentication states, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's response to unauthorized access attempts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a memory disclosure attack where an attacker can retrieve exactly 8 bytes of memory from the SAP HANA server process without proper authentication. This type of information disclosure represents a significant security concern as it provides attackers with potentially sensitive data that could include pointers, configuration values, or other memory contents that might aid in further exploitation attempts. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically affects the SQL interface component of SAP HANA, which serves as the primary communication channel for database operations and queries.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations utilizing SAP HANA systems as it enables unauthorized access to memory contents that could contain sensitive information. The fact that attackers cannot predict or influence the specific memory location being disclosed limits the direct value of the leaked data, but the potential for combining this information with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors remains concerning. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as it allows unauthorized disclosure of system information that should remain protected within the server environment.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and potentially CWE-310, which covers "Cryptographic Issues." The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the Information Gathering phase, specifically targeting system information discovery. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to SAP HANA SQL interfaces, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and monitoring for unusual access patterns or memory access attempts. Regular security updates and patches from SAP should be applied promptly to address this vulnerability and prevent exploitation by threat actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to sensitive database information.