CVE-2018-2415 in NetWeaver Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java Web Container and HTTP Service (Engine API, from 7.10 to 7.11, 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, 7.50; J2EE Engine Server Core 7.11, 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, 7.50) do not sufficiently encode user controlled inputs, resulting in a content spoofing vulnerability when error pages are displayed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2415 affects SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java components including the Web Container and HTTP Service Engine API across multiple versions from 7.10 through 7.50. This issue represents a content spoofing vulnerability that emerges when error pages are rendered to users, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the application's user interface and potentially enabling malicious actors to manipulate displayed content. The vulnerability stems from insufficient encoding of user-controlled inputs within the error handling mechanisms of the SAP NetWeaver platform, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious content that appears to originate from legitimate system sources.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of user inputs within the error page generation process where the system fails to adequately sanitize or encode data before displaying it in error contexts. This encoding deficiency allows attackers to manipulate the content presented to users through error messages, potentially enabling them to inject HTML, JavaScript, or other malicious code that gets executed within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability specifically impacts the J2EE Engine Server Core components and Web Container implementations, making it particularly dangerous as these are core elements of SAP's enterprise application infrastructure. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as cross-site scripting or XSS vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2415 extends beyond simple content manipulation as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. When users encounter error pages that display attacker-controlled content, they may unknowingly interact with malicious elements that could compromise their browser sessions or lead to further exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where SAP NetWeaver serves as a critical component of business applications, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data and system resources. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create convincing fake error pages that appear legitimate, making detection more difficult and increasing the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves applying the official SAP security patches released for affected versions, which typically include proper input sanitization and encoding mechanisms within the error handling components. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protection by monitoring and filtering malicious content before it reaches end users. Input validation should be strengthened at the application level to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly escaped or encoded before being processed or displayed in error contexts. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual error page content patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability relates to T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, as attackers can use the spoofed content to deliver malicious payloads or establish persistent access through user interaction with compromised error pages. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that the implemented mitigations are effective and that no other similar encoding vulnerabilities exist within the SAP environment.