dbcve.org
Successfactors MobileApplication · Sap

CVE-2021-40498

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2108 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
A vulnerability has been identified in SAP SuccessFactors Mobile Application for Android - versions older than 2108, which allows an attacker to prevent legitimate users from accessing a service, either by crashing or flooding the service, which can lead to denial of service. The vulnerability is related to Android implementation methods that are widely used across Android mobile applications, and such methods are embedded into the SAP SuccessFactors mobile application. These Android methods begin executing once the user accesses their profile on the mobile application. While executing, it can also pick up the activities from other Android applications that are running in the background of the users device and are using the same types of methods in the application. Such vulnerability can also lead to phishing attacks that can be used for staging other types of attacks.

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 confidence

This vulnerability in SAP SuccessFactors Mobile for Android (versions pre-2108) stems from improper handling of Android implementation methods (likely intent handling or activity lifecycle management) that execute when users access their profile. These methods can intercept activities from other background applications using similar implementations, enabling denial of service through crashes or flooding, and can be leveraged for phishing attacks.

MitigationUpgrade SAP SuccessFactors Mobile Application for Android to version 2108 or later. Organizations should also implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to ensure users update to patched versions.

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
Successfactors MobileApplication
Affected:< 2108

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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. Verify SAP SuccessFactors Mobile is installed
    On the Android device, go to Settings > Apps and look for 'SAP SuccessFactors Mobile' in the app list, or use ADB command: adb shell pm list packages | grep -i successfactors
    Affected if The app is not found in the installed applications
  2. Retrieve the installed application version
    In Settings > Apps > SAP SuccessFactors Mobile, scroll to 'App info' or 'Version' to see the version number. Alternatively, use ADB: adb shell dumpsys package <package_name> | grep versionName
    Affected if Unable to determine the version number from the app
  3. Compare version against the affected range
    Check if the installed version is any build number or version code prior to 2108. Note that version 2108 and later are patched.
    Affected if The installed version is a build or release prior to version 2108 (for example, 2105, 2102, 2008, etc.)
  4. Identify if the app handles profile access
    The vulnerability triggers when users access their profile within the app. This is a built-in feature of SAP SuccessFactors Mobile and cannot be disabled.
    Affected if The app has the profile feature enabled (default behavior in affected versions)

The environment is affected if SAP SuccessFactors Mobile for Android is installed with any version prior to 2108.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2108 or later
Fixed in 2108
Interim mitigation

Upgrade SAP SuccessFactors Mobile Application for Android to version 2108 or later. Organizations should also implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to ensure users update to patched versions.

Recommended fix High confidence

2108

  1. Open Google Play Store on the Android device
  2. Search for SAP SuccessFactors Mobile Application
  3. Update the application to version 2108 or later
  4. Alternatively, download the updated APK from the official SAP website or SAP Support Portal
  5. After updating, verify the application version in the app settings to confirm the fix is applied

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Successfactors Mobile Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,448.

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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-2021-40498 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data