CVE-2023-49578 in Cloud Connector
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2023
SAP Cloud Connector - version 2.0, allows an authenticated user with low privilege to perform Denial of service attack from adjacent UI by sending a malicious request which leads to low impact on the availability and no impact on confidentiality or Integrity of the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2024
SAP Cloud Connector version 2.0 contains a vulnerability that enables authenticated users with low privilege levels to execute denial of service attacks through the user interface. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of malicious requests sent from adjacent UI components, where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize incoming input parameters. The flaw specifically affects the connector's processing logic and demonstrates a weakness in access control mechanisms that should prevent low privilege users from initiating disruptive operations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 which encompasses issues related to resource exhaustion and denial of service conditions in software applications. The attack vector requires an authenticated session with minimal privileges, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users who do not possess elevated permissions within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and inadequate request processing controls within the SAP Cloud Connector's UI components. When an authenticated user submits a maliciously crafted request through the interface, the system processes this input without proper sanitization or rate limiting measures. This allows the attacker to potentially consume system resources or trigger application states that result in service unavailability. The impact assessment indicates low impact on availability, suggesting that while the system may experience temporary disruption or performance degradation, complete system failure is not anticipated. However, the cumulative effect of such attacks could still pose significant operational risks to business continuity and service delivery. The vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, meaning that sensitive data remains protected and system data integrity is maintained during the attack execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a medium severity risk that could be exploited by both internal and external threat actors who have gained access to legitimate user accounts. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard user interface interactions, making it accessible to a broad range of potential attackers. Organizations should consider this vulnerability within the context of the ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1499 category which covers network denial of service attacks. The impact on system availability, while classified as low, could still affect business operations particularly in environments where continuous connectivity is critical. Security teams must evaluate the potential for cascading effects if multiple users exploit this vulnerability simultaneously, as well as the possibility of combining this attack with other techniques to achieve more severe impacts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation controls and establishing proper access control mechanisms within the SAP Cloud Connector environment. Organizations should consider implementing rate limiting and request throttling to prevent resource exhaustion through malicious requests. The recommended approach includes updating to the latest available version of SAP Cloud Connector where the vulnerability has been addressed, along with implementing network segmentation to limit access to the connector interface. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of requests that may indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure that users have appropriate privilege levels. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their SAP environments to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement comprehensive patch management procedures to maintain system integrity and availability.