CVE-2019-0399 in Project Management
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Portfolio and Project Management, before versions S4CORE 102, 103, EPPM 100 and CPRXRPM 500_702, 600_740, 610_740; unintentionally allows a user to discover accounting information of the Projects in Project dashboard, leading to Information Disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2019
SAP Portfolio and Project Management systems contain a critical information disclosure vulnerability that affects multiple product versions including S4CORE 102, 103, EPPM 100, and CPRXRPM 500_702, 600_740, 610_740. This vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the project dashboard functionality, allowing unauthorized users to gain visibility into accounting details of projects they should not have access to. The flaw represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor input validation in the user interface components responsible for displaying project information. According to CWE-200, this vulnerability falls under information exposure, specifically where sensitive data is accessible to users without proper authorization. The issue manifests when users navigate to project dashboards and can inadvertently access financial accounting information through modified request parameters or direct URL manipulation, bypassing the intended access control mechanisms that should restrict such data visibility.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weaknesses in the application's authorization checking processes within the web interface layer. Attackers can leverage this flaw by constructing specific requests that target project accounting data within the dashboard context, effectively circumventing the normal access control checks that should validate user permissions before displaying financial information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the presentation layer where user interface components fail to properly validate access rights for different data categories. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checking as defined in the ATT&CK framework under T1078.004 - Valid Accounts, where an attacker can leverage existing user accounts to access restricted information through application-level flaws rather than brute force authentication attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as project accounting data often contains sensitive financial information including budget allocations, cost tracking, and revenue projections that could be exploited for competitive advantage or financial fraud. Organizations utilizing affected SAP versions face potential regulatory compliance violations under standards such as SOX, GDPR, and PCI DSS where unauthorized access to financial data can result in significant penalties. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of project financial data but also undermines the integrity of the organization's project management processes by potentially allowing manipulation of financial reporting. Risk assessment indicates that this vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple stakeholders access project dashboards, as it can enable lateral movement and information gathering that may lead to more sophisticated attacks. The disclosure of accounting information could facilitate further exploitation attempts including financial data manipulation, competitive intelligence gathering, and potential insider threat scenarios.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant SAP security patches and hotfixes that address the authorization checking mechanisms in the project dashboard components. System administrators should review and tighten access controls for project dashboard functionality, ensuring that user permissions are properly enforced at both the application and database levels. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to project accounting data through dashboard interfaces. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar authorization flaws in other SAP modules and related applications. Regular security testing including penetration testing and source code reviews should be implemented to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities. The implementation of automated monitoring solutions that track access to sensitive financial data within project management systems can provide early detection of potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access control enhancements and ensure that user access rights are regularly reviewed and updated according to the principle of least privilege to minimize the impact of such vulnerabilities.