CVE-2024-34684 in BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2024
On Unix, SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform (Scheduling) allows an authenticated attacker with administrator access on the local server to access the password of a local account. As a result, an attacker can obtain non-administrative user credentials, which will allow them to read or modify the remote server files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2024
This vulnerability exists within the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform scheduling component on unix systems where an authenticated attacker with administrator privileges on the local server can extract password information from local accounts. The flaw represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that directly impacts the platform's security model and access controls. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and proper authentication mechanisms within the scheduling subsystem that fails to adequately protect sensitive credential information. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control issue where the system allows unauthorized access to privileged information through inadequate authorization checks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it enables attackers to escalate from administrator access to non-administrative user credentials, creating a pathway for further compromise of the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to directly access password information stored within the local account management system of the business intelligence platform. This occurs through a flaw in the scheduling component's interaction with local user authentication mechanisms, where proper credential isolation and access controls are not enforced. The attacker can leverage their administrative access to extract password hashes or plaintext credentials from local user accounts, which then provides them with the ability to impersonate legitimate users within the system. This type of credential extraction aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access through legitimate system access. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor mechanism where the attacker can bypass normal authentication procedures and gain access to additional user accounts that they would not normally be able to access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft and creates a significant risk to the overall security posture of the SAP BusinessObjects environment. Once an attacker obtains these credentials, they can perform unauthorized file operations on the remote server, including reading sensitive data, modifying system files, and potentially escalating privileges further within the platform. The ability to read and modify remote server files creates opportunities for data exfiltration, system compromise, and persistence mechanisms that could go undetected for extended periods. The vulnerability also affects the platform's integrity and availability as attackers can modify system configurations and data files that are critical to business operations. Organizations using this platform face risks of regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, and potential system outages that could impact business continuity and revenue generation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting local administrator access to only essential personnel, implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts, and conducting thorough access control reviews. The platform should be updated with the latest security patches from SAP to address the underlying access control flaws. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate the business intelligence platform from other systems, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized credential access attempts. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to verify proper implementation of access controls and to identify any potential privilege escalation paths. System administrators should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions that can enforce least privilege principles and provide detailed audit trails of credential usage. According to NIST SP 800-53 control CM-7, configuration management controls should be implemented to ensure that system configurations maintain their security properties and that unauthorized changes are detected and prevented.