VulnerabilityPublished 8 Jul 2025

CVE-2025-42981: SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP · URL Redirection to Untrusted Site

Affects SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAPSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 8 Jul 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

European organizations should implement targeted mitigations beyond generic advice: 1) Immediately audit SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP versions in use and identify those affected by this vulnerability. 2) Monitor SAP Security Notes and vendor advisories for official patches or hotfixes and apply them promptly once available. 3) Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious URL redirection patterns and malformed requests targeting SAP web clients. 4) Enhance email security controls to filter phishing attempts that may deliver malicious URLs exploiting this vulnerability. 5) Conduct user awareness training focused on recognizing and avoiding suspicious links, emphasizing the risks of URL redirection attacks. 6) Review and tighten SAP web client configurations to restrict open redirects and validate URL parameters rigorously. 7) Employ browser security features such as Content Security Policy (CSP) to limit script execution from untrusted sources. 8) Regularly monitor logs for unusual redirect activities or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. These steps collectively reduce the attack surface and mitigate the risk until patches are applied.

Description

Due to an open redirect vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP, an unauthenticated attacker could craft a URL link embedding a malicious script at a location not properly sanitized. When a victim clicks on this link, the script executes within the victim's browser, redirecting them to a site controlled by the attacker. This allows the attacker to access and/or modify restricted information related to the web client. While the vulnerability poses no impact on data availability, it presents a considerable risk to confidentiality and integrity.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-42981 can be significant, especially for enterprises relying heavily on SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP for critical business processes. The vulnerability enables attackers to redirect users to malicious sites, potentially leading to credential theft, session hijacking, or further exploitation via social engineering. Confidential business data accessible through the web client could be exposed or altered, undermining data integrity and confidentiality. Although availability is not directly impacted, the breach of trust and data compromise can result in regulatory non-compliance, reputational damage, and financial losses. Given the widespread use of SAP systems in Europe across sectors like manufacturing, finance, and public administration, this vulnerability could be exploited to target sensitive information or disrupt business operations indirectly. The requirement for user interaction means phishing campaigns could be a likely attack vector, increasing risk in organizations with less mature security awareness programs.

CWE-601URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: LowOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The web application accepts a user-controlled input that specifies a link to an external site, and uses that link in a redirect.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design
Use an intermediate disclaimer page that provides the user with a clear warning that they are leaving the current site. Implement a long timeout before the redirect occurs, or force the user to click on the link. Be careful to avoid XSS problems (CWE-79) when generating the disclaimer page.
Architecture and Design · Enforcement by Conversion
When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.1.5 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Cross-Site Flashing (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 8 Jul 2025, 00:56 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-601

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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