CVE-2018-2484 in Enterprise Financial Services
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Enterprise Financial Services (fixed in SAPSCORE 1.13, 1.14, 1.15; S4CORE 1.01, 1.02, 1.03; EA-FINSERV 1.10, 2.0, 5.0, 6.0, 6.03, 6.04, 6.05, 6.06, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 8.0; Bank/CFM 4.63_20) does not perform necessary authorization checks for an authenticated user, resulting in escalation of privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2484 affects SAP Enterprise Financial Services applications and represents a critical authorization flaw that permits unauthorized privilege escalation. This issue stems from insufficient validation of user permissions within the financial services module, allowing authenticated users to potentially access functionality beyond their designated authorization levels. The vulnerability specifically impacts multiple SAP product lines including SAPSCORE, S4CORE, EA-FINSERV, and Bank/CFM components, indicating a widespread concern across financial application frameworks. The flaw exists in the authorization checking mechanisms that should normally verify user credentials against predefined permission sets before granting access to sensitive financial operations.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability manifests as a failure in the access control implementation where the system does not properly validate whether an authenticated user possesses the necessary privileges to perform specific financial transactions or access restricted data sets. This authorization bypass allows malicious or compromised users to escalate their privileges and perform operations that should be restricted to higher-privileged accounts. The issue typically occurs when the application fails to enforce mandatory access controls during critical financial processing operations, potentially enabling users to manipulate financial data, execute unauthorized transactions, or access confidential financial reports. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 which describes improper access control in software applications. The weakness specifically relates to inadequate authorization checks that should be enforced at multiple levels of the application architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2484 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass significant financial and compliance risks. Organizations utilizing affected SAP systems face potential exposure to unauthorized financial transactions, data manipulation, and insider threat scenarios where compromised accounts could be leveraged to access sensitive financial information. The vulnerability could enable attackers to bypass normal financial controls and potentially cause substantial monetary losses through fraudulent transactions or data breaches. Additionally, the impact includes regulatory compliance violations as financial institutions must maintain strict access controls to meet auditing requirements and maintain data integrity. This vulnerability directly affects the CIA triad by compromising both confidentiality and integrity of financial data, while potentially impacting availability through unauthorized system modifications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-2484 require immediate implementation of SAP security patches and updates as provided in the affected versions mentioned in the CVE description. Organizations should prioritize applying the specific fixes for SAPSCORE 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, S4CORE 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, EA-FINSERV 1.10, 2.0, 5.0, 6.0, 6.03, 6.04, 6.05, 6.06, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 8.0, and Bank/CFM 4.63_20. Beyond patching, organizations should conduct comprehensive access control reviews and implement additional monitoring of financial transaction activities. Security teams should establish privileged access management controls, implement regular authorization audits, and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious access patterns. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation techniques, making it essential for organizations to strengthen their identity and access management controls. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the authorization fixes do not introduce regressions in system functionality while maintaining the integrity of financial processing workflows.