CVE-2018-2391 in Internet Graphics Server
Summary
by MITRE
Under certain conditions a malicious user can prevent legitimate users from accessing the SAP Internet Graphics Server (IGS), 7.20, 7.20EXT, 7.45, 7.49, 7.53, via IGS portwatcher service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2391 affects the SAP Internet Graphics Server (IGS) component across multiple versions including 7.20, 7.20EXT, 7.45, 7.49, and 7.53. This issue resides within the portwatcher service functionality of the IGS system, which serves as a critical interface for managing network connections and graphics rendering services. The vulnerability represents a significant security concern as it enables a malicious actor to disrupt legitimate service access through a specific denial-of-service mechanism.
The technical flaw manifests when a malicious user exploits weaknesses in the portwatcher service's connection handling and resource management processes. This allows unauthorized individuals to consume system resources or manipulate connection states in a manner that prevents legitimate users from establishing valid connections to the IGS service. The vulnerability operates by leveraging the service's response to specific network requests or connection patterns that trigger resource exhaustion or state corruption within the portwatcher component.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it compromises the availability and integrity of the entire SAP IGS ecosystem. Legitimate users attempting to access graphics rendering services, image processing capabilities, or network-based graphical applications would encounter complete service denial. This affects organizations relying on SAP IGS for business-critical applications including enterprise resource planning systems, customer relationship management platforms, and various graphical data processing workflows. The disruption can cascade through dependent systems and applications that depend on stable IGS service availability.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network-level access controls to restrict unauthorized access to the affected IGS ports and services. The SAP security advisory recommends applying the relevant security patches and updates to address the underlying portwatcher service vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous connection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms can help prevent resource exhaustion attacks targeting the portwatcher service. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" within the context of service availability attacks. Organizations must also conduct thorough security assessments of their SAP environments to identify similar vulnerabilities in related components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar denial-of-service threats.