CVE-2021-33684 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This article provides insights into CVE-2021-33684, a vulnerability affecting SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform that allows attackers to crash work processes due to memory corruption.

Understanding CVE-2021-33684

CVE-2021-33684 is a medium severity vulnerability impacting SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform. It stems from overlong content in RFC requests causing memory corruption.

What is CVE-2021-33684?

The vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform allows attackers to crash work processes by exploiting memory corruption via overlong content in RFC request types.

The Impact of CVE-2021-33684

The availability impact of CVE-2021-33684 is low as the work process attempts to restart itself after the crash caused by the memory corruption vulnerability.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-33684

CVE-2021-33684 has the following technical details:

Vulnerability Description

Attackers can crash work processes in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform by sending overlong content in RFC request types, resulting in memory corruption.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects multiple versions of SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform including KRNL32NUC 7.21, 7.22, KRNL64NUC 7.21, 7.49, KRNL64UC 8.04, 7.21, 7.53, KERNEL 8.04, and others.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting CVE-2021-33684 involves sending excessive content in RFC requests, leading to memory corruption and subsequent work process crashes.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-33684, consider the following mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by SAP promptly.
Monitor and restrict network access to vulnerable systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security assessments and audits.
Educate users on safe computing practices to prevent attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security updates and patches released by SAP to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2021-33684.