CVE-2025-42957 is a critical vulnerability affecting SAP S/4HANA systems, specifically versions S4CORE 102 through 108, deployed in private cloud or on-premise environments. The vulnerability stems from improper control over code generation (CWE-94) within a function module exposed via Remote Function Call (RFC). An attacker with legitimate user privileges can exploit this flaw to inject arbitrary ABAP code into the SAP system. This injection bypasses essential authorization checks, effectively creating a backdoor that allows the attacker to execute unauthorized commands and potentially take full control of the system. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as the attacker can manipulate sensitive data, alter system behavior, and disrupt operations. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.9, reflecting the ease of remote exploitation (network vector), low attack complexity, requirement of only low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction, and a scope change that affects components beyond the initially vulnerable module. Although no known exploits are currently observed in the wild, the severity and nature of this vulnerability make it a prime target for attackers aiming to compromise enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. SAP S/4HANA is a critical backbone for many organizations' business processes, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-42957 is substantial. SAP S/4HANA is widely used across industries such as manufacturing, finance, logistics, and public sector entities throughout Europe. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to highly sensitive business data, including financial records, personal data protected under GDPR, and intellectual property. The ability to inject arbitrary code and bypass authorization controls threatens the integrity of business processes and could enable fraudulent transactions, data manipulation, or sabotage. Availability could also be compromised, resulting in operational downtime and significant financial losses. Given the critical role of SAP systems in supply chain management and regulatory reporting, exploitation could disrupt compliance efforts and damage organizational reputation. Furthermore, the cross-border nature of many European enterprises means that a successful attack could have cascading effects across multiple countries and sectors.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Immediate application of SAP-provided patches or security notes once available, as no official patches are currently linked but are expected given the critical severity. 2) Restrict and closely monitor RFC access, limiting it to only trusted users and systems, and enforce the principle of least privilege rigorously. 3) Implement enhanced logging and real-time monitoring of ABAP code execution and changes, with alerts for anomalous or unauthorized code injections. 4) Conduct thorough audits of user privileges and remove or downgrade unnecessary elevated rights, especially for users with RFC access. 5) Employ network segmentation to isolate SAP systems from less secure network zones, reducing exposure to potential attackers. 6) Use SAP’s security tools such as SAP Enterprise Threat Detection to identify suspicious activities early. 7) Educate administrators and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid detection and response. 8) Consider deploying application-level firewalls or SAP-specific security modules that can detect and block suspicious RFC calls or code injection attempts.