CVE-2025-42952 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) and SAP Plug-In Basis components. The root cause is a missing authorization check (CWE-862) that allows an authenticated attacker with limited privileges to add fields to arbitrary SAP database tables and structures. This unauthorized modification capability can be exploited to disrupt normal system operations. Specifically, the attacker can cause short dumps during user login, rendering the SAP system unusable and severely impacting availability. Notably, the vulnerability does not allow unauthorized reading, modification, or deletion of data, so confidentiality and integrity remain intact. The affected SAP versions include multiple releases of PI_BASIS (from 2006_1_700 through 816) and SAP_BW (700 through 758). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.7, reflecting a network attack vector with low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and resulting in a high impact on availability with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are linked yet. The vulnerability’s scope is significant due to the widespread use of SAP BW in enterprise data warehousing and analytics, making this a critical availability risk for organizations relying on these SAP components for business operations.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is primarily on system availability. SAP Business Warehouse is widely used across industries such as manufacturing, finance, retail, and logistics in Europe for critical data analytics and reporting. An attacker exploiting this flaw could cause login failures and system downtime, disrupting business continuity and operational decision-making. Although data confidentiality and integrity are not compromised, the inability to access SAP BW systems can lead to significant financial losses, regulatory compliance issues, and reputational damage. Organizations with complex SAP landscapes and integrated business processes are particularly vulnerable to operational disruptions. The requirement for authenticated access means insider threats or compromised credentials could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, emphasizing the need for strict access controls and monitoring.

1. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to limit permissions for users who can modify SAP database tables and structures, ensuring only trusted administrators have such privileges. 2. Monitor SAP system logs and audit trails for unusual activities related to table or structure modifications, especially attempts to add fields. 3. Apply SAP security notes and patches as soon as they become available from SAP to address this vulnerability. 4. Enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 5. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on SAP authorization configurations to detect and remediate missing or misconfigured authorizations. 6. Prepare incident response plans specifically for SAP availability incidents to minimize downtime if exploitation occurs. 7. Segment SAP BW systems within the network to limit exposure to potentially compromised accounts and reduce attack surface.