CVE-2020-6239 in Business One
Summary
by MITRE
Under certain conditions SAP Business One (Backup service), versions 9.3, 10.0, allows an attacker with admin permissions to view SYSTEM user password in clear text, leading to Information Disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-6239 affects SAP Business One backup service across versions 9.3 and 10.0, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that can be exploited by attackers with administrative privileges. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of sensitive authentication data within the backup service component, creating an avenue for unauthorized access to system credentials. The flaw specifically manifests when the backup service processes or stores authentication information, inadvertently exposing the SYSTEM user password in plaintext format rather than maintaining proper cryptographic protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the backup service's configuration management and credential handling mechanisms. When administrators configure backup operations, the system fails to adequately encrypt or obfuscate the SYSTEM user password during the backup process, allowing any authenticated user with administrative access to extract this sensitive information directly from the backup configuration files or service logs. This represents a direct violation of security best practices and demonstrates inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the backup service component. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials) according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the entire SAP Business One environment. Once an attacker obtains the SYSTEM user password, they gain elevated privileges that can be leveraged to manipulate backup configurations, access sensitive business data, or establish persistence within the system. The attack vector requires administrative access to the system, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) and T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) if the attacker gains administrative access through social engineering. This vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a direct path to escalate privileges and maintain long-term access to critical business infrastructure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including restricting administrative access to the backup service, enforcing strict access controls, and conducting thorough audit reviews of backup configurations. The recommended remediation strategy involves applying the latest SAP security patches and updates, implementing proper credential management practices, and establishing monitoring controls to detect unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege controls, regularly rotating backup credentials, and conducting vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other system components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security architecture design and the necessity of adhering to security standards such as those outlined in ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST SP 800-53 for protecting sensitive information within enterprise environments.