CVE-2018-2434 in NetWeaver
Summary
by MITRE
A content spoofing vulnerability in the following components allows to render html pages containing arbitrary plain text content, which might fool an end user: UI add-on for SAP NetWeaver (UI_Infra, 1.0), SAP UI Implementation for Decoupled Innovations (UI_700, 2.0): SAP NetWeaver 7.00 Implementation, SAP User Interface Technology (SAP_UI 7.4, 7.5, 7.51, 7.52). There is little impact as it is not possible to embed active contents such as JavaScript or hyperlinks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2434 represents a content spoofing weakness within SAP NetWeaver user interface components that enables malicious actors to manipulate the presentation of web content. This flaw affects multiple UI infrastructure modules including UI_Infra 1.0, UI_700 2.0, SAP_UI 7.4, 7.5, 7.51, and 7.52 implementations within SAP NetWeaver 7.00. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that process HTML page rendering, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary plain text content that can be displayed to end users. This security gap falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, specifically representing a variant where content manipulation occurs through legitimate UI rendering processes rather than direct injection points.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the affected UI components process user-supplied content without proper sanitization, enabling attackers to craft HTML pages that display misleading information to unsuspecting users. While the flaw does not permit the execution of active content such as JavaScript or hyperlinks, the ability to render arbitrary plain text content creates significant deception opportunities. Attackers can manipulate displayed messages, error descriptions, or interface elements to mislead users about system status, security warnings, or application functionality. This capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves social engineering through content spoofing and manipulation of user interface elements to gain unauthorized access or mislead users about system state.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2434 extends beyond simple information disclosure as it can be leveraged to conduct phishing attacks or manipulate user behavior through deceptive interface elements. Although the vulnerability lacks the capability to execute malicious scripts, the psychological impact on users who may be tricked into believing they are interacting with legitimate system interfaces can be substantial. The affected components span multiple SAP NetWeaver versions and implementations, indicating a widespread exposure across various enterprise environments where SAP systems are deployed. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on SAP NetWeaver for business-critical applications, as users may be deceived into providing sensitive information or making decisions based on manipulated interface content.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigations including strict input validation for all user-supplied content, enhanced HTML sanitization processes within UI components, and regular security assessments of SAP NetWeaver implementations. The remediation approach should focus on strengthening the content processing pipelines to ensure that all rendered HTML content undergoes proper validation before display. Additionally, security awareness training for system administrators and end users can help identify suspicious interface behaviors that may indicate exploitation attempts. SAP has released patches and updates addressing this vulnerability in subsequent releases, and organizations should prioritize applying these security updates to eliminate the risk of content spoofing attacks that could compromise user trust and system security. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure content rendering in enterprise web applications and highlights the need for robust input validation mechanisms across all UI components that process external data.