CVE-2020-6248
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 · uneditedSAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (Backup Server), version 16.0, does not perform the necessary validation checks for an authenticated user while executing DUMP or LOAD command allowing arbitrary code execution or Code Injection.
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 · moderate confidenceSAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (Backup Server) version 16.0 fails to perform necessary validation checks on authenticated users when executing DUMP or LOAD commands, allowing arbitrary code execution or code injection via the backup server component.
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= 16.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if SAP ASE Backup Server is runningLocate and inspect the Backup Server process or service using system monitoring tools (e.g., tasklist, ps, or service management interfaces). Look for processes named 'backupserver' or similar SAP ASE backup components.Affected if The Backup Server component of SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is installed and running on the system.
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Determine the Backup Server versionExecute the version check command for SAP ASE Backup Server. This is typically done via 'sp_serverinfo' or by querying the backup server directly using isql/dsedit, or by examining the binary version information if accessible.Affected if The installed version of the SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise Backup Server is exactly 16.0.
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Verify authenticated user access to DUMP/LOAD commandsCheck database permissions for users or roles that have execute rights on DUMP DATABASE, DUMP TRANSACTION, LOAD DATABASE, or LOAD TRANSACTION commands. Review the output of 'sp_helprotect' or equivalent permission queries for these commands.Affected if Authenticated database users (other than strictly administrative accounts) have permissions to execute DUMP or LOAD commands.
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Confirm backup server is network-accessibleInspect the backup server configuration and network bindings. Check if the backup server is listening on network ports and whether it accepts remote connections, which would expose the vulnerable component.Affected if The backup server component is network-accessible and accepts connections from application or database users.
You are affected if the SAP ASE Backup Server version is exactly 16.0 AND authenticated users have access to execute DUMP/LOAD commands in your environment.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataApply the relevant SAP security patch for CVE-2020-6248 and implement strict input validation on DUMP/LOAD operations. Since this requires authenticated access, enforce least-privilege principles for database users.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-6248 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-6248 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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