CVE-2025-42961: CWE-862: Missing Authorization in SAP_SE SAP NetWeaver Application Server for ABAP
Due to a missing authorization check in SAP NetWeaver Application server for ABAP, an authenticated user with high privileges could exploit the insufficient validation of user permissions to access sensitive database tables. By leveraging overly permissive access configurations, unauthorized reading of critical data is possible, resulting in a significant impact on the confidentiality of the information stored. However, the integrity and availability of the system remain unaffected.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2025-42961 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in SAP NetWeaver Application Server for ABAP, specifically affecting multiple SAP_BASIS versions ranging from 700 through 816. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862, which corresponds to missing authorization. The core issue arises from insufficient validation of user permissions within the application server, allowing an authenticated user with high privileges to bypass intended authorization checks. This flaw enables such users to access sensitive database tables that should otherwise be restricted. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability but poses a significant risk to confidentiality by exposing critical data. Exploitation requires the attacker to already have high-level authenticated access, which implies that the threat actor must be an insider or have compromised a privileged account. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), and no user interaction is required (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is high on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. Given the widespread deployment of SAP NetWeaver in enterprise environments, this vulnerability could be leveraged to extract sensitive business data, intellectual property, or personal information stored within SAP databases.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-42961 is primarily on the confidentiality of sensitive corporate data managed within SAP systems. Many large enterprises and public sector organizations across Europe rely heavily on SAP NetWeaver for critical business processes, including finance, supply chain, and human resources. Unauthorized access to sensitive tables could lead to data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR, trade secrets, or financial information. Although the vulnerability does not affect system availability or integrity, the exposure of confidential data can result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and loss of competitive advantage. The requirement for high-privilege authentication reduces the risk from external attackers but elevates the threat from insider misuse or compromised privileged accounts. European organizations with complex SAP landscapes and insufficient segregation of duties or weak privileged access management controls are particularly at risk.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Conduct a thorough review of user roles and authorizations within SAP NetWeaver to ensure the principle of least privilege is strictly enforced, minimizing the number of users with high-level access. 2) Implement robust privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control the use of privileged accounts, including session recording and anomaly detection. 3) Apply SAP security notes and patches as soon as they become available from SAP, and subscribe to SAP security advisories for timely updates. 4) Perform regular audits of access logs and database queries to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive tables. 5) Employ network segmentation and restrict access to SAP servers to trusted networks and users only. 6) Enhance monitoring with SIEM tools to correlate SAP access events with other security alerts. 7) Train SAP administrators and users on security best practices and the risks associated with excessive privileges. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control hardening, proactive monitoring, and rapid patch management tailored to SAP environments.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland
CVE-2025-42961: CWE-862: Missing Authorization in SAP_SE SAP NetWeaver Application Server for ABAP
Description
Due to a missing authorization check in SAP NetWeaver Application server for ABAP, an authenticated user with high privileges could exploit the insufficient validation of user permissions to access sensitive database tables. By leveraging overly permissive access configurations, unauthorized reading of critical data is possible, resulting in a significant impact on the confidentiality of the information stored. However, the integrity and availability of the system remain unaffected.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-42961 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in SAP NetWeaver Application Server for ABAP, specifically affecting multiple SAP_BASIS versions ranging from 700 through 816. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862, which corresponds to missing authorization. The core issue arises from insufficient validation of user permissions within the application server, allowing an authenticated user with high privileges to bypass intended authorization checks. This flaw enables such users to access sensitive database tables that should otherwise be restricted. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability but poses a significant risk to confidentiality by exposing critical data. Exploitation requires the attacker to already have high-level authenticated access, which implies that the threat actor must be an insider or have compromised a privileged account. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), and no user interaction is required (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is high on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. Given the widespread deployment of SAP NetWeaver in enterprise environments, this vulnerability could be leveraged to extract sensitive business data, intellectual property, or personal information stored within SAP databases.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-42961 is primarily on the confidentiality of sensitive corporate data managed within SAP systems. Many large enterprises and public sector organizations across Europe rely heavily on SAP NetWeaver for critical business processes, including finance, supply chain, and human resources. Unauthorized access to sensitive tables could lead to data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR, trade secrets, or financial information. Although the vulnerability does not affect system availability or integrity, the exposure of confidential data can result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and loss of competitive advantage. The requirement for high-privilege authentication reduces the risk from external attackers but elevates the threat from insider misuse or compromised privileged accounts. European organizations with complex SAP landscapes and insufficient segregation of duties or weak privileged access management controls are particularly at risk.
Mitigation Recommendations
To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Conduct a thorough review of user roles and authorizations within SAP NetWeaver to ensure the principle of least privilege is strictly enforced, minimizing the number of users with high-level access. 2) Implement robust privileged access management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control the use of privileged accounts, including session recording and anomaly detection. 3) Apply SAP security notes and patches as soon as they become available from SAP, and subscribe to SAP security advisories for timely updates. 4) Perform regular audits of access logs and database queries to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive tables. 5) Employ network segmentation and restrict access to SAP servers to trusted networks and users only. 6) Enhance monitoring with SIEM tools to correlate SAP access events with other security alerts. 7) Train SAP administrators and users on security best practices and the risks associated with excessive privileges. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control hardening, proactive monitoring, and rapid patch management tailored to SAP environments.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- sap
- Date Reserved
- 2025-04-16T13:25:39.584Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 686c68cc6f40f0eb72eec637
Added to database: 7/8/2025, 12:39:40 AM
Last enriched: 7/8/2025, 12:57:58 AM
Last updated: 8/11/2025, 4:21:06 AM
Views: 13
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