CVE-2018-2487 in Disclosure Management
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Disclosure Management 10.x allows an attacker to exploit through a specially crafted zip file provided by users: When extracted in specific use cases, files within this zip file can land in different locations than the originally intended extraction point.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2020
SAP Disclosure Management version 10.x contains a critical vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized file operations through maliciously crafted zip archives. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of file extraction processes where the application fails to properly validate or restrict file paths during decompression operations. The flaw specifically manifests when users provide zip files containing files that should be extracted to predetermined locations but instead get placed in alternative directories due to insufficient path validation mechanisms. This behavior creates a potential attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate file placement to overwrite critical system files or inject harmful content into unintended locations within the application's directory structure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. When the vulnerable application processes user-provided zip archives, it does not adequately sanitize the file paths contained within the archive contents. This allows attackers to craft zip files containing entries with relative path sequences such as ../ or ..\ that can cause extracted files to be placed outside of the intended target directory. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the file system level during decompression, making it difficult to detect through traditional network-based security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file placement issues and can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation within the SAP environment. Attackers can exploit this weakness to place malicious executables, configuration files, or script files in critical system directories where they can be executed with elevated privileges. The vulnerability also enables attackers to overwrite existing legitimate files with malicious counterparts, potentially causing application instability or complete system compromise. Additionally, the attack can be combined with other exploitation techniques to bypass security controls and gain deeper access to the underlying infrastructure. This weakness particularly affects organizations using SAP Disclosure Management in environments where user input is not properly sanitized and where the application runs with elevated privileges.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability including immediate patching of affected SAP Disclosure Management installations to the latest available security updates from SAP. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit user access to sensitive directories and reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation. Input validation mechanisms should be strengthened to reject zip files containing suspicious path sequences or entries that attempt to traverse directory structures. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other SAP components and third-party applications. System monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual file creation patterns or unauthorized modifications to critical system directories. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and regular security training for administrators can further reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting solutions and mandatory file integrity checking to detect unauthorized modifications to system files that could result from successful exploitation of this vulnerability.