CVE-2021-33701 in DMIS Mobile Plug-In
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2021
DMIS Mobile Plug-In or SAP S/4HANA, versions - DMIS 2011_1_620, 2011_1_640, 2011_1_700, 2011_1_710, 2011_1_730, 710, 2011_1_731, 710, 2011_1_752, 2020, SAPSCORE 125, S4CORE 102, 102, 103, 104, 105, allows an attacker with access to highly privileged account to execute manipulated query in NDZT tool to gain access to Superuser account, leading to SQL Injection vulnerability, that highly impacts systems Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33701 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the DMIS Mobile Plug-In and SAP S/4HANA platforms, specifically affecting multiple version releases including DMIS 2011_1_620 through 2011_1_752 and various SAPSCORE and S4CORE versions. This vulnerability resides in the NDZT tool functionality where manipulated queries can be executed, creating a pathway for attackers with access to highly privileged accounts to escalate their privileges and gain access to superuser accounts. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in input validation and query construction mechanisms that directly violates established security principles. Organizations utilizing these platforms face significant risk as this vulnerability enables unauthorized access to critical system resources and administrative privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user inputs within the NDZT tool's query processing functionality. When privileged users execute queries through this interface, the system fails to properly validate or escape input parameters, allowing maliciously crafted SQL commands to be interpreted and executed by the underlying database engine. This represents a classic SQL injection vector that falls under CWE-89, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to already possess access to a highly privileged account, making it a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be leveraged to achieve administrative control over the affected systems. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious input that bypasses existing authentication checks and directly manipulates database operations through the vulnerable interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across all three core security principles defined by the CIA triad. Confidentiality is severely compromised as attackers can extract sensitive data from the database through unauthorized queries, potentially accessing financial records, personal information, or proprietary business data. Integrity suffers as the vulnerability allows for data manipulation and modification of database entries, enabling attackers to alter critical business information or introduce malicious data into the system. Availability is also at risk since attackers can potentially execute destructive queries or exploit the vulnerability to cause system instability through resource exhaustion or database corruption. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of both DMIS Mobile Plug-In and SAP S/4HANA platforms means that organizations with diverse system deployments face widespread exposure, potentially affecting thousands of systems across different business units and geographical locations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation and parameterized query execution throughout the NDZT tool interface to prevent malicious SQL injection attempts. The implementation of proper access controls and least privilege principles is essential to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to a privileged account, they cannot escalate to superuser privileges without additional authorization. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within other components of the SAP ecosystem, particularly focusing on database interaction points and query execution mechanisms. System administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring and logging of database activities to detect anomalous query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, with particular attention to unusual data access patterns or privilege escalation activities. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1213.002 for Exploitation for Credential Access highlights the need for multi-layered defensive strategies that address both account compromise and privilege escalation vectors.