CVE-2023-26460 in NetWeaver Application Server for Java
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2023
Cache Management Service in SAP NetWeaver Application Server for Java - version 7.50, does not perform any authentication checks for functionalities that require user identity
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-26460 affects the Cache Management Service within SAP NetWeaver Application Server for Java version 7.50, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental principles of access control and authentication. This issue stems from the service's complete absence of authentication mechanisms for critical cache management functionalities, creating an unauthorized access vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate application cache data. The vulnerability directly violates core security tenets by allowing any user to perform cache operations without proper verification of their identity or authorization status, effectively bypassing the application server's security controls.
The technical flaw manifests in the Cache Management Service's design where it fails to implement proper authentication checks for operations that should require authenticated user context. This service typically handles cache initialization, data retrieval, cache invalidation, and other administrative cache functions that are normally protected by robust authentication and authorization mechanisms. The absence of user identity verification means that attackers can exploit this weakness to perform unauthorized cache operations, potentially leading to cache poisoning, data corruption, or information disclosure. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, specifically highlighting the lack of proper authentication checks for privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to significant security breaches and application instability. Attackers could manipulate cache contents to redirect traffic, inject malicious data, or cause denial of service conditions by invalidating critical cache entries. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks where unauthenticated users might gain access to sensitive cache data that could contain user credentials, session information, or business-critical data. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) where attackers could leverage this weakness to maintain persistent access or escalate privileges within the application environment.
Organizations running SAP NetWeaver Application Server for Java version 7.50 must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that restore proper authentication mechanisms to the Cache Management Service. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the affected service, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized cache operations. Security administrators should also review and enforce strict access controls for cache management interfaces, ensuring that only authorized personnel with proper authentication credentials can perform cache-related operations. The vulnerability underscores the importance of comprehensive security testing and continuous monitoring of application components, particularly those handling sensitive data operations, as highlighted in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 security controls.