CVE-2018-2374 in HANA Extended Application Services
Summary
by MITRE
In SAP HANA Extended Application Services, 1.0, a controller user who has SpaceAuditor authorization in a specific space could retrieve sensitive application data like service bindings within that space.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2374 resides within SAP HANA Extended Application Services version 1.0, representing a significant authorization bypass issue that undermines the security model of the platform. This flaw specifically targets the controller user role within the SAP HANA environment, where individuals holding the SpaceAuditor authorization level can exploit a design weakness to access sensitive application data. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of role-based access control and data isolation principles, creating an unexpected pathway for information disclosure that extends beyond the intended authorization boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access control validation within the application service binding mechanisms of SAP HANA Extended Application Services. When a controller user possesses SpaceAuditor authorization, they should typically be restricted to auditing activities within their designated space. However, the flaw allows these users to bypass normal access controls and retrieve service binding information that should remain confidential to authorized personnel only. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in the authorization enforcement mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling sophisticated attackers to map application dependencies, identify service configurations, and understand the internal architecture of applications running within the SAP HANA environment. Such information disclosure can serve as a foundation for more advanced attacks, including privilege escalation attempts or targeted exploitation of other system components. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on SAP HANA for enterprise application hosting, where service bindings often contain sensitive configuration data, credentials, and integration points that could be leveraged by malicious actors.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-2374 should implement immediate mitigations including reviewing and tightening SpaceAuditor role permissions, implementing additional access controls for service binding data, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 related to valid accounts and privilege escalation. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and enhanced logging for SAP HANA environments to detect potential exploitation attempts. SAP has released patches addressing this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these updates as part of their vulnerability management processes to prevent unauthorized data access and maintain the integrity of their enterprise application infrastructure.