CVE-2014-9320 – CVE-2014-9320 is a critical vulnerability in SA... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2014-9320?

CVE-2014-9320 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). CVE-2014-9320 is a critical vulnerability in SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 that allows remote attackers to obtain the SI_PLATFORM_SEARCH_SERVER_LOGON_TOKEN token via CORBA calls. This token can be used to gain SYSTEM privileges on the server, effectively providing complete control. Organizations running vulnerable versions of SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2014-9320 is a critical vulnerability in SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 that allows remote attackers to obtain the SI_PLATFORM_SEARCH_SERVER_LOGON_TOKEN token via CORBA calls. This token can be used to gain SYSTEM privileges on the server, effectively providing complete control. Organizations running vulnerable versions of SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

SAP BusinessObjects Edge

Versions: 4.1 (specifically mentioned in CVE)

Operating Systems: Windows (SYSTEM privileges indicate Windows)

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: The vulnerability involves CORBA calls to the search server component. Any deployment with the vulnerable search service exposed is at risk.

📦 What is this software?

Businessobjects Edge by Sap

View all CVEs affecting Businessobjects Edge →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise with SYSTEM privileges, allowing attackers to install malware, steal all data, create persistent backdoors, and pivot to other systems.

🟠

Likely Case

Privilege escalation to SYSTEM followed by data exfiltration, credential harvesting, and installation of ransomware or other malicious payloads.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper network segmentation, least privilege, and monitoring are in place, though SYSTEM access still represents severe compromise.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitation is remote and unauthenticated, making internet-facing instances extremely vulnerable to attack.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Even internally, this vulnerability allows privilege escalation to SYSTEM from any network-accessible position.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Public exploit code and detailed technical analysis are available. The attack involves sending specific CORBA requests to obtain the authentication token.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Apply SAP Security Note 2039905

Vendor Advisory: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2039905

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download and apply SAP Security Note 2039905 from the SAP Support Portal. 2. Restart affected SAP BusinessObjects services. 3. Verify the patch is applied correctly.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Restrict network access to the CORBA interface (typically port 6400) to only trusted administrative networks.

Use firewall rules to block port 6400/tcp from untrusted networks

Service Hardening

windows

Run SAP BusinessObjects services with least privilege accounts instead of SYSTEM where possible.

Configure service accounts with minimal privileges in Windows Services

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict network segmentation to isolate SAP BusinessObjects servers from untrusted networks
Deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for CORBA exploitation attempts on port 6400

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if SAP BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 is installed and if SAP Security Note 2039905 has not been applied. Test by attempting to access the CORBA interface on port 6400.

Check Version:

Check SAP BusinessObjects version through the Central Management Console or via the installation directory properties.

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify that SAP Security Note 2039905 is listed as applied in the SAP system. Test that CORBA calls no longer return the SI_PLATFORM_SEARCH_SERVER_LOGON_TOKEN.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual CORBA connection attempts to port 6400
Failed authentication attempts followed by successful SYSTEM privilege actions
Unexpected processes running as SYSTEM

Network Indicators:

CORBA traffic to port 6400 from unexpected sources
Patterns matching known exploit payloads for this CVE

SIEM Query:

source_port=6400 AND (protocol=CORBA OR payload_contains="SI_PLATFORM_SEARCH_SERVER_LOGON_TOKEN")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2014-9320

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-287

Published: August 9, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/129613/SAP-Business-Objects-Search-Token-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Dec/60 Mailing List,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/99607 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://www.onapsis.com/research/security-advisories/sap-business-objects-search-token-privilege-escalation-via-corba Broken Link
https://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/534249/100/0/threaded Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/129613/SAP-Business-Objects-Search-Token-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Dec/60 Mailing List,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/99607 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://www.onapsis.com/research/security-advisories/sap-business-objects-search-token-privilege-escalation-via-corba Broken Link
https://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/534249/100/0/threaded Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry

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