CVE-2021-21481 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A critical security vulnerability has been identified in SAP NetWeaver AS JAVA MigrationService versions below 7.50. An attacker can exploit this flaw to compromise system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Understanding CVE-2021-21481

What is CVE-2021-21481?

The MigrationService component in SAP NetWeaver versions 7.10 to 7.50 lacks proper authorization checks. This oversight may enable malicious actors to access crucial configuration objects, potentially leading to unauthorized administrative access and a full system compromise.

The Impact of CVE-2021-21481

With a CVSS v3.0 base score of 9.6 (Critical), the vulnerability poses a severe risk. Attackers can exploit it without requiring any special privileges, leading to high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack complexity is low, and the exploit can be conducted from an adjacent network without user interaction.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-21481

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from the absence of proper authorization checks in SAP NetWeaver AS JAVA MigrationService. This could allow unauthorized users to access sensitive configuration objects, potentially granting them extensive administrative rights.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects SAP NetWeaver AS JAVA MigrationService versions prior to 7.50. Specifically, versions 7.10, 7.11, 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, and 7.50 are all impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting this vulnerability does not require any special privileges or user interaction. Attackers can carry out the exploit with low complexity from an adjacent network, significantly impacting system availability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

To mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2021-21481, users are advised to apply the necessary security patches provided by SAP. Additionally, it is recommended to monitor system logs for any suspicious activities that may indicate an ongoing exploit attempt.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, organizations should enforce strict access controls, regularly update their SAP systems, and conduct security trainings to raise awareness among employees regarding potential threats and best practices.

Patching and Updates

SAP has released patches to address this vulnerability in affected versions of NetWeaver AS JAVA. Users should promptly apply these patches and stay informed about the latest security updates from SAP to protect their systems.