CVE-2022-29613 in Employee Self Service
Summary
by MITRE • 05/11/2022
Due to insufficient input validation, SAP Employee Self Service allows an authenticated attacker with user privileges to alter employee number. On successful exploitation, the attacker can view personal details of other users causing a limited impact on confidentiality of the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2022
CVE-2022-29613 represents a critical access control vulnerability within SAP Employee Self Service that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms. This weakness allows authenticated attackers with standard user privileges to manipulate employee identifiers and subsequently access confidential personal information belonging to other employees. The vulnerability specifically affects the employee number field within the self-service application, where insufficient validation permits unauthorized data access through manipulation of input parameters. The flaw exists in the application's authorization controls, where the system fails to properly verify that users can only access their own employee records. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in implementing proper access controls that are fundamental to information security practices.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated user modifies the employee number parameter in the application's request processing logic. Without proper input sanitization and validation, the system accepts manipulated employee identifiers and returns corresponding personal data without adequate authorization checks. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-20, which encompasses improper input validation, and specifically relates to CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization checks. The attack vector involves a simple parameter manipulation technique where the attacker leverages their existing authentication credentials to access data beyond their authorized scope, essentially performing a privilege escalation through data manipulation rather than direct authentication bypass.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates a persistent risk for unauthorized access to sensitive employee information including personal details, payroll information, and other confidential data. Organizations utilizing SAP Employee Self Service face significant confidentiality risks when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as it enables attackers to conduct targeted data collection and potentially facilitate further attacks such as identity theft or social engineering campaigns. The limited impact classification does not reflect the potential for cascading security breaches, as access to one employee's personal data can often lead to discovery of additional system access points or sensitive information that may not be directly related to the initial breach. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which addresses credential harvesting, as attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to employee information without requiring additional authentication.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching the affected SAP systems with the latest security updates provided by SAP, implementing additional input validation controls, and strengthening access control mechanisms within the employee self-service application. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper authorization controls and input validation in enterprise applications, particularly those handling sensitive personal data. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other SAP modules and enterprise applications. Organizations should also consider implementing data loss prevention measures and access logging to monitor for unauthorized data access attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation flaws can create significant security risks when combined with proper authentication mechanisms, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive security testing and adherence to security best practices in enterprise application development and maintenance.