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NetweaverApplication · Sap

CVE-2016-3635

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-10-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
SAP Netweaver 7.4 allows remote authenticated users to bypass an intended Unified Connectivity (UCON) access control list and execute arbitrary Remote Function Modules (RFM) by leveraging a connection created from earlier execution of an anonymous RFM included in a Communication Assembly, aka SAP Security Note 2139366.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

SAP NetWeaver 7.4 contains a vulnerability in the Unified Connectivity (UCON) framework where authenticated remote users can bypass intended access control list restrictions and execute arbitrary Remote Function Modules (RFMs). The bypass occurs by leveraging connections created from earlier execution of anonymous RFMs that are included in a Communication Assembly, allowing unauthorized RFM execution despite ACL configurations.

MitigationApply SAP Security Note 2139366 to patch the UCON access control bypass vulnerability, and review UCON configuration to ensure ACLs are properly enforcing restrictions on RFM execution.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
NetweaverApplication
Affected:= 7.40

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify SAP NetWeaver version
    Execute transaction code SM51 or use SAP MII version checker to determine the installed NetWeaver release. Alternatively, check the SAP system information via SAP MMC or the SAP System Landscape Directory.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 7.40 (SAP NetWeaver 7.40)
  2. Verify UCON framework is configured
    Access the UCON configuration via transaction code UCONCOCKPIT or check for UCON-related transaction codes (UCONX, UCONPR, UCONF) in the system. Inspect whether any Communication Assemblies have been defined in the UCON administration.
    Affected if UCON is configured and Communication Assemblies containing RFMs are present in the system
  3. Review Communication Assembly definitions
    In UCON transaction (UCONCOCKPIT or UCONF), navigate to the Communication Assembly configuration and list all assemblies that include RFMs. Check which assemblies reference or execute RFMs from external sources.
    Affected if Communication Assemblies exist that include RFMs callable from external or anonymous connections
  4. Inspect RFM execution ACL configurations
    In UCON transaction, review the Access Control List (ACL) settings for RFM execution permissions. Check if ACL rules are defined to restrict which RFMs can be executed by which users or connection types.
    Affected if ACLs are defined but may have gaps in enforcement for connections originating from anonymous RFM executions within Communication Assemblies
  5. Check for unauthorized RFM execution logs
    Review SAP security audit logs (transaction code SM19 or SAAB) and UCON-specific logs for any RFM executions that occurred outside expected ACL boundaries, particularly RFMs executed via connections initially established by anonymous RFMs.
    Affected if Audit logs show RFM executions that appear to bypass configured ACL restrictions

A system is affected if it runs SAP NetWeaver version 7.40 with UCON configured and contains Communication Assemblies with RFMs, where ACLs may not properly restrict execution from connections originally established by anonymous RFMs.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply SAP Security Note 2139366 to patch the UCON access control bypass vulnerability, and review UCON configuration to ensure ACLs are properly enforcing restrictions on RFM execution.

Fix this in Netweaver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,480
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-3635 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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