CVE-2021-27623
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 Internet Graphics Service, versions - 7.20,7.20EXT,7.53,7.20_EX2,7.81, allows an unauthenticated attacker after retrieving an existing system state value can submit a malicious IGS request over a network which due to insufficient input validation in method CXmlUtility::CheckLength() which will trigger an internal memory corruption error in the system causing the system to crash and rendering it unavailable. In this attack, no data in the system can be viewed or modified.
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 confidenceSAP Internet Graphics Service versions 7.20 through 7.81 contain an input validation flaw in the CXmlUtility::CheckLength() method. An unauthenticated remote attacker can submit a specially crafted IGS request that triggers memory corruption, causing the service to crash and become unavailable. While the vulnerability results in denial of service, it does not allow the attacker to read or modify system data.
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= 7.20= 7.20ex2= 7.20ext= 7.53= 7.81CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if SAP IGS is runningOn Windows: check Windows Services for 'SAP Internet Graphics Service' or look for igsxd process. On Unix: check for igsxd process via ps command. Also check SAP transaction SM37 (background job monitoring) or SM51 (server processes).Affected if IGS process/service is running on the system
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Determine IGS versionCheck SAP transaction code IGS_VERSION or navigate to SAP GUI: Tools > Administration > Internet Graphics Server > Version. Alternatively, check the SAP note 2764523 or the igsxd.exe file properties on the server.Affected if Installed version matches exactly 7.20, 7.20ex2, 7.20ext, 7.53, or 7.81
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Verify IGS HTTP port exposureCheck SAP profile parameter icm/host_ports or use netstat -an to list listening ports. Common IGS ports are 8000, 8080, or 4000. Confirm which ports the IGS service is bound to.Affected if IGS HTTP port is accessible from network without authentication
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Check IGS configuration for XML processingReview IGS configuration files (igs_config.xml or default.cfg in the IGS directory) to determine if XML-related features or the CXmlUtility component is enabled. Use SAP transaction IGS_ADMIN if available.Affected if XML processing or CXmlUtility feature is active in IGS configuration
If SAP IGS is running version 7.20, 7.20ex2, 7.20ext, 7.53, or 7.81 AND the IGS service is network-accessible, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2021-27623.
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-2021-27623 to update the IGS component. If patching is not immediately possible, consider network-level filtering to restrict unauthorized access to IGS endpoints.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27623 — 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-2021-27623 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
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