CVE-2026-0492 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting SAP HANA database version 2.00. The flaw allows any authenticated user to escalate privileges by switching to another user account without proper authentication checks. This effectively bypasses access controls, enabling attackers to gain administrative access and fully compromise the system. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L), requiring only low privileges (PR:L) and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the attack impacts only the vulnerable component. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high). Such a vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or service disruption. No patches or known exploits are currently published, but the risk is significant given SAP HANA's widespread use in enterprise environments. The vulnerability highlights a critical design flaw in authentication enforcement for sensitive functions within SAP HANA, necessitating prompt remediation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to SAP HANA's extensive deployment in sectors such as finance, manufacturing, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive business data, intellectual property theft, disruption of business operations, and potential regulatory non-compliance with GDPR and other data protection laws. The ability to escalate privileges to administrative levels means attackers could manipulate or delete data, disrupt services, or create persistent backdoors. This could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and legal consequences. Organizations relying on SAP HANA 2.00 without mitigations are particularly vulnerable. The threat is exacerbated in environments where user credential management is weak or where network segmentation is insufficient to isolate database systems.

1. Immediately monitor SAP HANA systems for unusual user account switching or privilege escalation attempts using detailed audit logs and anomaly detection tools. 2. Restrict user permissions to the minimum necessary, enforcing the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of exploitation by low-privileged users. 3. Apply SAP vendor patches as soon as they become available; maintain close communication with SAP security advisories for updates. 4. Implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to SAP HANA database servers only to trusted hosts and administrators. 5. Enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), for all users accessing SAP HANA systems. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on privilege escalation vectors within SAP environments. 7. Educate administrators and users about the risks of credential sharing and the importance of secure credential management. 8. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) or database activity monitoring solutions to detect and block suspicious activities in real time.