CVE-2020-6298 in Banking Services
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Banking Services (Generic Market Data), versions - 400, 450, 500, allows an unauthorized user to display protected Business Partner Generic Market Data (GMD) and change related GMD key figure values, due to Missing Authorization Check.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2020
SAP Banking Services Generic Market Data module presents a critical authorization flaw that enables unauthorized access to sensitive business partner information across multiple versions including 400, 450, and 500. This vulnerability stems from a fundamental failure in the system's access control mechanisms, specifically the absence of proper authorization checks that should validate user permissions before granting access to confidential market data. The flaw exists within the Business Partner Generic Market Data component where legitimate users should be restricted from viewing or modifying data they do not have explicit authorization to access. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls that directly violates security principles outlined in the CWE-284 weakness category, which addresses improper access control mechanisms. The vulnerability allows malicious actors or compromised legitimate users to bypass normal security boundaries and obtain unauthorized access to protected business partner information, potentially exposing sensitive financial data and market intelligence that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this flaw manifests as a missing authorization check within the Generic Market Data processing logic, where the system fails to validate user credentials against appropriate access control lists before executing data retrieval or modification operations. This authorization bypass occurs at the application layer where business partner data is accessed through standard interfaces, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through normal operational workflows without requiring specialized attack tools or techniques. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential data integrity compromise, as unauthorized users can not only view but also modify key figure values within the Generic Market Data system. This modification capability represents a significant escalation from basic unauthorized access to potential data manipulation that could affect financial reporting, market analysis, and business decision-making processes. The flaw operates at the application level and can be exploited through standard SAP user interfaces or API calls, making it accessible to both internal and external threat actors who gain access to valid user credentials or can exploit other initial access vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond immediate data exposure, creating cascading risks for financial institutions relying on SAP Banking Services for their market data operations. Organizations may experience regulatory compliance violations under financial services regulations such as SOX, PCI DSS, and various banking-specific compliance frameworks that mandate strict access controls for sensitive business partner information. The unauthorized modification of key figure values could lead to significant financial reporting inaccuracies, market manipulation opportunities, and potential fraud scenarios that could affect trading decisions, risk assessments, and regulatory reporting. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation and credential access techniques, as it allows attackers to leverage legitimate user access to gain unauthorized capabilities within the system. The vulnerability also represents a critical point of failure in the defense-in-depth strategy, as it bypasses multiple layers of security controls that should normally prevent unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. Organizations may face substantial reputational damage and regulatory penalties if this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in jurisdictions with strict financial services data protection requirements.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate implementation of proper authorization checks within the SAP Banking Services system, including enforcement of role-based access controls and mandatory authorization validation before any data access or modification operations. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that user permissions align with their legitimate business requirements and that appropriate segregation of duties is maintained. The system should be configured to enforce mandatory authorization checks at all data access points, with logging and monitoring capabilities to detect unauthorized access attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that authorization controls remain effective, while also implementing automated compliance monitoring to ensure ongoing adherence to access control policies. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as database activity monitoring, network segmentation, and enhanced authentication mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability requires immediate attention as it represents a critical risk to financial data integrity and regulatory compliance, with potential impacts extending to business continuity and stakeholder confidence in the institution's data protection capabilities.