CVE-2020-6231 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform (Web Intelligence HTML interface) version 4.2 is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) due to insufficient input encoding.

Understanding CVE-2020-6231

This CVE involves a security vulnerability in SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform.

What is CVE-2020-6231?

CVE-2020-6231 is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Web Intelligence HTML interface of SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform version 4.2.

The Impact of CVE-2020-6231

The vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a user's session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-6231

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the lack of proper encoding of user-controlled inputs in version 4.2 of the Web Intelligence HTML interface, enabling XSS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform (Web Intelligence HTML interface)
Vendor: SAP SE
Versions Affected: < 4.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Privileges Required: Low
Vector String: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Base Score: 5.4 (Medium Severity)
Confidentiality Impact: Low
Integrity Impact: Low
Availability Impact: None

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-6231 is crucial for maintaining security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by SAP promptly.
Monitor and restrict user input to prevent malicious scripts.
Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or downloading files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate weaknesses.
Implement web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform is updated to a version that addresses the XSS vulnerability in the Web Intelligence HTML interface.