CVE-2024-24740 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in the SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP kernel, affecting multiple versions including KERNEL 7.53, 7.54, 7.77, 7.85, 7.89, 7.93, 7.94, and KRNL64UC 7.53. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-732, which relates to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. Specifically, under certain conditions, this flaw allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to information that should otherwise be restricted within the SAP application environment. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or user interaction to exploit (CVSS vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), indicating that it can be triggered remotely over the network with low attack complexity. However, the impact on confidentiality is limited (only partial information disclosure), and there is no impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability arises from improper permission settings in the SAP kernel, which is a core component responsible for running ABAP applications and managing critical system resources. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the presence of this vulnerability in widely used SAP NetWeaver kernel versions makes it a significant concern for organizations relying on SAP for enterprise resource planning and business-critical operations. The lack of a published patch at the time of disclosure further emphasizes the need for immediate attention and mitigation by affected organizations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-24740 can be significant given the widespread adoption of SAP NetWeaver in industries such as manufacturing, finance, utilities, and public sector entities. Unauthorized information disclosure could lead to leakage of sensitive business data, intellectual property, or personally identifiable information (PII), potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. Although the confidentiality impact is rated low, even limited data exposure can have regulatory and reputational consequences in Europe. Additionally, attackers exploiting this vulnerability could use the disclosed information as a foothold for further attacks or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability’s remote exploitability without authentication increases the risk profile, especially for SAP systems exposed to external networks or insufficiently segmented internal environments. Given SAP’s critical role in business processes, any compromise or data leakage could disrupt operations, cause financial losses, and erode customer trust.

1. Immediate review and hardening of SAP NetWeaver kernel permissions: Administrators should audit and correct permission assignments on critical resources to ensure they adhere to the principle of least privilege. 2. Network segmentation and access controls: Restrict access to SAP NetWeaver systems to trusted internal networks and VPNs only, minimizing exposure to external threats. 3. Monitor SAP system logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns or unauthorized information queries that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Engage with SAP support and subscribe to SAP Security Notes for timely updates and patches addressing this vulnerability once available. 5. Implement compensating controls such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) with signatures tuned to detect suspicious SAP kernel activity. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on SAP environments to identify and remediate permission misconfigurations proactively. 7. Educate SAP administrators and security teams on the specifics of this vulnerability and the importance of strict permission management within SAP kernels.