CVE-2026-0491 is a critical security vulnerability identified in SAP Landscape Transformation (SLT), a key component used for real-time data replication and system integration in SAP environments. The vulnerability arises from improper control over code generation (CWE-94) within a function module exposed via Remote Function Call (RFC). Specifically, an attacker possessing administrative privileges can exploit this flaw to inject arbitrary ABAP code or operating system commands into the system. This injection bypasses essential authorization checks, effectively creating a backdoor that allows the attacker to execute malicious code with high privileges. The affected versions include multiple releases from DMIS 2011_1_700 up to the 2020 version, indicating a broad impact across SAP SLT deployments. The vulnerability's CVSS 3.1 score of 9.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H) highlights its critical nature, reflecting network exploitability with low attack complexity, requiring high privileges but no user interaction, and causing complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. While no public exploits have been reported yet, the potential for full system takeover makes this a significant threat. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, manipulation, and disruption of business-critical SAP processes, severely impacting enterprise operations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-0491 is profound due to the widespread use of SAP systems in industries such as manufacturing, finance, utilities, and public sector. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive business data, alteration or deletion of critical information, and disruption of essential business processes, leading to operational downtime and financial losses. The ability to execute arbitrary code at a high privilege level means attackers could establish persistent backdoors, move laterally within networks, and potentially compromise other connected systems. Given the critical role of SAP Landscape Transformation in data replication and integration, the vulnerability could also affect data consistency and integrity across enterprise systems. This poses a significant risk to compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR, as breaches could expose personal and sensitive data. The threat is especially acute for organizations with complex SAP landscapes and those that rely heavily on real-time data synchronization.

To mitigate CVE-2026-0491, organizations should immediately apply any available patches or updates from SAP once released. In the absence of patches, restrict administrative access to the SAP Landscape Transformation system to the minimum number of trusted personnel and enforce strict role-based access controls. Monitor and audit all administrative activities and RFC calls for unusual or unauthorized behavior. Implement network segmentation to isolate SAP systems from less trusted network zones and limit exposure of RFC interfaces to only necessary hosts. Employ application-level firewalls or SAP-specific security tools to detect and block suspicious code injection attempts. Regularly review and harden SAP system configurations, disable unused function modules, and ensure that logging and alerting mechanisms are active and integrated with security information and event management (SIEM) systems. Conduct thorough security assessments and penetration testing focused on SAP environments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities proactively.