CVE-2018-2403 in Disclosure Management
Summary
by MITRE
Under certain conditions, SAP Disclosure Management 10.1 allows an attacker to access information which would otherwise be restricted. It is possible for an authorized user to get SAP Disclosure Management to point a specific chapter type to a chapter the user has not been given access to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2023
SAP Disclosure Management 10.1 contains a critical access control vulnerability that enables unauthorized information disclosure through improper privilege enforcement mechanisms. This vulnerability resides in the chapter access control system where the application fails to properly validate user permissions when processing chapter references. The flaw manifests when an authenticated user manipulates chapter type configurations to reference restricted chapters, bypassing the intended access controls that should prevent such unauthorized access patterns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and privilege checking within the chapter management functionality. When SAP Disclosure Management processes chapter type definitions, it does not sufficiently verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels to access the target chapter resource. This creates a path where legitimate users can exploit the system's chapter referencing mechanisms to gain access to information they should not be permitted to view, effectively circumventing the application's access control policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security model. An attacker with valid credentials can potentially access sensitive financial reporting data, regulatory disclosures, or other restricted content that should be protected by access controls. This vulnerability affects organizations relying on SAP Disclosure Management for compliance reporting and financial data management, where unauthorized access to disclosure documents could lead to regulatory violations, competitive disadvantages, or financial losses.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient access control validation where the system trusts user-provided chapter references without proper verification of access permissions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting chapter type configuration capabilities for non-administrative users, implementing additional access control checks, and monitoring for unauthorized chapter reference patterns. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments of configuration management interfaces and the need for robust input validation in enterprise reporting systems.
The security implications of this vulnerability underscore the critical nature of access control validation in regulatory compliance systems where data integrity and access restrictions are paramount. Organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their SAP Disclosure Management configurations and ensure that all user roles and permissions are properly enforced. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of principle of least privilege implementation and the necessity of validating all user interactions with sensitive data access mechanisms.