CVE-2025-42964 is a critical vulnerability identified in SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Administration, specifically affecting the EP-RUNTIME 7.50 version. The vulnerability stems from CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data. In this context, a privileged user has the ability to upload untrusted or malicious serialized content to the system. When this content is deserialized by the application, it can lead to severe security consequences including compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host system. The vulnerability requires a privileged user (high privileges) to exploit, but does not require any user interaction beyond the upload action. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.1, indicating a critical severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because deserialization flaws can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the critical nature and ease of exploitation given privileged access make it a significant threat. SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal is widely used in enterprise environments for portal management and integration, making this vulnerability a serious concern for organizations relying on SAP infrastructure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-42964 can be substantial. SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal is commonly used in large enterprises, including manufacturing, finance, telecommunications, and public sector entities across Europe. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive business data, disruption of critical business processes, and potential lateral movement within the network. Given the high privileges required, insider threats or compromised privileged accounts could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, increasing risk. The compromise of confidentiality could expose personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Integrity compromise could result in data manipulation affecting business decisions or financial reporting. Availability impact could disrupt portal services, affecting business continuity. The critical severity and scope change imply that the vulnerability could be used to affect multiple components or systems beyond the initial portal, amplifying the damage. Organizations with complex SAP landscapes and integrated systems are particularly at risk, as the vulnerability could serve as a pivot point for broader attacks.

1. Immediate application of SAP security patches or updates once released is essential. Since no patch links are currently available, organizations should monitor SAP Security Notes and advisories closely. 2. Restrict and monitor privileged user access rigorously, employing the principle of least privilege to minimize the number of users who can upload content to the portal administration. 3. Implement strong authentication and session management controls for privileged accounts to reduce the risk of account compromise. 4. Employ application-layer filtering or validation to detect and block malicious serialized objects before deserialization occurs. This may include deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules targeting known deserialization attack patterns. 5. Conduct regular security audits and code reviews focusing on deserialization processes within SAP NetWeaver components. 6. Monitor logs and system behavior for unusual activities related to content uploads and deserialization operations. 7. Segment SAP systems from other critical infrastructure to limit potential lateral movement in case of exploitation. 8. Educate privileged users about the risks of uploading untrusted content and enforce strict operational procedures around content management. 9. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions that can detect and block deserialization attacks in real time.