CVE-2020-6181 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Understand the impact and technical details of CVE-2020-6181 affecting SAP NetWeaver and SAP ABAP Platform.

Understanding CVE-2020-6181

What is CVE-2020-6181?

Under certain conditions, a vulnerability in the SAML SSO implementation in SAP NetWeaver and SAP ABAP Platform allows an attacker to manipulate HTTP response headers, leading to HTTP Response Splitting.

The Impact of CVE-2020-6181

This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 5.8 (Medium severity) and affects the integrity of the systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-6181

Vulnerability Description

The issue allows attackers to inject unauthorized data into HTTP response headers, potentially leading to various attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

SAP NetWeaver (SAP Basis) versions 7.02, 7.30, 7.31, 7.40
SAP ABAP Platform (SAP Basis) versions 7.50, 7.51, 7.52, 7.53, 7.54

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability enables attackers to include malicious data in HTTP response headers, exploiting the SAML SSO implementation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by SAP to address the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict external access to affected systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch SAP systems to prevent security gaps.
Conduct security assessments and audits to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates from SAP to protect systems from exploitation.