CVE-2018-2446 in Business Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE
Admin tools in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence, versions 4.1, 4.2, allow an unauthenticated user to read sensitive information (server name), hence leading to an information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2446 affects SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence versions 4.1 and 4.2, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise business intelligence platforms. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative tools within the SAP BusinessObjects ecosystem, creating an attack vector that allows unauthenticated adversaries to access sensitive server information including server names without requiring any prior authentication credentials or privileges. The flaw exists within the administrative interfaces that are designed to be accessible only to authorized personnel with proper authentication mechanisms in place.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and authentication checks within the administrative toolset of SAP BusinessObjects. When users attempt to access certain administrative functions or retrieve system information through the web interfaces, the system fails to properly validate whether the requesting entity has legitimate authorization to perform such operations. This misconfiguration creates a scenario where any internet-facing system can access specific administrative endpoints that should normally be restricted to authenticated administrators. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it exposes server identification information that can serve as a foundation for further reconnaissance activities and subsequent attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2446 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposure of server names provides attackers with critical reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attack vectors. This information disclosure vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes improper information exposure as a fundamental weakness in software design that can lead to cascading security issues. The disclosure of server names enables threat actors to map the infrastructure landscape of affected organizations, potentially identifying other systems that may share similar configurations or vulnerabilities. From an adversary perspective, this information can be used to craft targeted attacks against specific server instances, bypass network segmentation controls, or correlate with other intelligence gathering activities.
The implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe in enterprise environments where SAP BusinessObjects systems are deployed across multiple networks and security zones. The unauthenticated access to server information creates opportunities for attackers to perform network mapping, identify system architecture patterns, and potentially escalate their attacks through additional vulnerabilities. This flaw represents a significant deviation from the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in implementing proper authentication controls for administrative interfaces. Organizations utilizing SAP BusinessObjects platforms face increased risk of targeted attacks, including potential exploitation of additional vulnerabilities that may be discovered through this initial reconnaissance activity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2446 should prioritize immediate implementation of network segmentation controls to restrict access to administrative interfaces, ensuring that these endpoints are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Organizations must implement proper access controls and authentication mechanisms that enforce strict authorization checks before granting access to administrative functions. The SAP security advisory recommends applying the relevant security patches and updates provided by SAP to address the underlying authentication bypass vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to administrative interfaces and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving reconnaissance and credential access, as attackers can leverage the information disclosure to plan more sophisticated attacks against the identified systems.