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Netweaver Application Server AbapApplication · Sap

CVE-2021-27603

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-04-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An RFC enabled function module SPI_WAIT_MILLIS in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP, versions - 731, 740, 750, allows to keep a work process busy for any length of time. An attacker could call this function module multiple times to block all work processes thereby causing Denial of Service and affecting the Availability of the SAP system.

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

The SPI_WAIT_MILLIS RFC-enabled function module in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP versions 731, 740, and 750 lacks proper controls to limit execution time, allowing an attacker to keep work processes occupied indefinitely. By repeatedly calling this function, an attacker can exhaust all available work processes and cause complete system unavailability.

MitigationRestrict or disable RFC access to the SPI_WAIT_MILLIS function module via SAP authorization controls (S_RFCACL or function group authorization), and apply any available SAP security notes. Implement time limits on function execution if the function is business-critical.

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
Netweaver Application Server AbapApplication
Affected:= 731= 740= 750

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
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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. Check ABAP kernel version
    Execute transaction SM51 or use SAP kernel version check command to identify the SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP kernel version. Compare against affected versions 731, 740, and 750.
    Affected if The kernel version corresponds to ABAP versions 731, 740, or 750.
  2. Verify SPI_WAIT_MILLIS function module exists
    Access transaction SE37 (Function Builder) and search for function module SPI_WAIT_MILLIS, or query table TFDIR via SE16. Confirm the function module is present in the system.
    Affected if The function module SPI_WAIT_MILLIS exists in the system.
  3. Confirm RFC-enabled status
    In transaction SE37, display function module SPI_WAIT_MILLIS and check the attributes tab for RFC capability (Remote-Enabled Module flag), or query table RFCDES for RFC destination entries referencing this function.
    Affected if The SPI_WAIT_MILLIS function module is marked as RFC-enabled.
  4. Review RFC access controls
    Check authorization objects S_RFCACL and function group authorization (via transaction SUIM or SU53 after attempted access) to determine if RFC access to SPI_WAIT_MILLIS is unrestricted or accessible to unauthorized users.
    Affected if No restrictive authorization controls are configured for RFC access to SPI_WAIT_MILLIS, or the function is accessible without proper ACLs.
  5. Monitor work process consumption
    Use transaction SM50 to view current work process utilization. Check if many work processes are in a running or held state, or use transaction ST03N to review RFC activity patterns for repeated calls to SPI_WAIT_MILLIS.
    Affected if Work processes appear exhausted, with many processes occupied by RFC calls to SPI_WAIT_MILLIS, or unusual RFC activity patterns are observed.

A system is affected if it runs SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP versions 731, 740, or 750 AND the SPI_WAIT_MILLIS function module is RFC-enabled with insufficient access controls, potentially showing work process exhaustion.

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

Restrict or disable RFC access to the SPI_WAIT_MILLIS function module via SAP authorization controls (S_RFCACL or function group authorization), and apply any available SAP security notes. Implement time limits on function execution if the function is business-critical.

Fix this in Netweaver Application Server Abap Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2021-27603 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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