CVE-2020-6261
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 Solution Manager (Trace Analysis), version 7.20, allows an attacker to perform a log injection into the trace file, due to Incomplete XML Validation. The readability of the trace file is impaired.
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 Solution Manager's Trace Analysis feature (version 7.20) contains an incomplete XML validation vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious content into trace files. By crafting specially crafted XML input, an attacker can manipulate trace log entries, impairing the readability and integrity of the trace output.
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= 7.20CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
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 SAP Solution Manager installationCheck the SAP system landscape for systems running SAP Solution Manager. Query SAP transaction SM51 (System Overview) or use SAP LMDB (Landscape Management Database) to list installed systems.Affected if SAP Solution Manager is not installed in the environment
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Verify SAP Solution Manager versionAccess SAP Solution Manager and check the version via transaction SM37, or use SAP Solution Manager Administrator (transaction SOLMAN_SETUP) or check the system information in SAP Management Console. The affected version is specifically 7.20.Affected if The installed version is exactly 7.20
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Confirm Trace Analysis feature is in useCheck if the Trace Analysis component is configured or active in the SAP Solution Manager system. This can be verified by checking SAP Solution Manager configuration (transaction SOLMAN_SETUP) or by searching for Trace Analysis related transactions such as ST03 or custom Trace Analysis transactions.Affected if Trace Analysis feature is enabled or has been used in the system
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Inspect trace files for malformed XMLLocate trace files generated by the Trace Analysis feature (typically in the SAP work directory or trace directories accessible via transaction AL11). Examine these files for unexpected XML structure, injection attempts, or manipulated trace entries that contain unexpected tags or content.Affected if Trace files contain malformed or injected XML content that suggests exploitation of the incomplete validation vulnerability
The environment is affected if SAP Solution Manager version 7.20 is installed AND the Trace Analysis feature is actively used, with trace files potentially showing evidence of XML injection manipulation.
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 dataImplement proper XML input validation and sanitization in the Trace Analysis component to ensure all XML input is properly validated before being written to trace files. Consider implementing output encoding for trace file entries.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,480.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-6261 — 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-2020-6261 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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