dbcve.org
Netweaver Application Server For JavaApplication · Sap

CVE-2023-0017

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 unauthenticated attacker in SAP NetWeaver AS for Java - version 7.50, due to improper access control, can attach to an open interface and make use of an open naming and directory API to access services which can be used to perform unauthorized operations affecting users and data on the current system. This could allow the attacker to have full read access to user data, make modifications to user data, and make services within the system unavailable.

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

In SAP NetWeaver AS for Java version 7.50, improper access controls on an open interface allow unauthenticated attackers to access the naming and directory API (JNDI). This enables full unauthorized operations including read access to all user data, modification of user data, and denial of service by making system services unavailable.

MitigationApply the SAP security patch for CVE-2023-0017 and review access control configurations on JNDI interfaces to ensure they are not exposed to unauthenticated users.

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 For JavaApplication
Affected:= 7.50

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify SAP NetWeaver AS for Java version
    Run the SAP kernel version check command (sapkernel -v or disp+work -v) or check the SAPMMC/SAP Management Console for the Java instance version
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 7.50 (equal to 7.50, not just containing 7.50)
  2. Verify JNDI interface is enabled
    Check the SAP Java system configuration for JNDI service status. In SAP NetWeaver Administrator (NWA) go to Configuration > Infrastructure > Application Modules or inspect the default.xml in the SAP J2EE Engine configuration directory
    Affected if JNDI naming and directory service module is loaded and running
  3. Test unauthenticated JNDI access
    Attempt to access the JNDI interface remotely without credentials. Use an LDAP lookup tool or Java code to perform a JNDI initial context lookup to the SAP Java server's port (typically 50004 for the Naming Service) without providing authentication credentials
    Affected if The JNDI lookup succeeds without requiring authentication credentials
  4. Review JNDI access control configuration
    Inspect the security configuration files in the SAP Java AS (engine.j2ee.services.security and related XML files under usr/sap/<SID>/<instance>/j2ee/cluster/server<n>/config) or check via SAP NetWeaver Administrator under Security > Access Control > JNDI security settings
    Affected if No authentication is required or anonymous access is explicitly permitted for JNDI interfaces

A system is affected if it runs SAP NetWeaver AS for Java version 7.50 AND the JNDI naming service is exposed without proper authentication enforcement.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the SAP security patch for CVE-2023-0017 and review access control configurations on JNDI interfaces to ensure they are not exposed to unauthenticated users.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

SAP NetWeaver AS for Java 7.50 with latest SAP Security Patch (or upgrade to a supported higher version if 7.50 is end-of-life)

  1. 1. Review the SAP Security Note for CVE-2023-0017 on SAP Support Portal (launchpad.support.sap.com) to obtain the specific patch
  2. 2. Check the SAP Note that addresses this vulnerability in NetWeaver AS for Java 7.50
  3. 3. Apply the latest SAP Security Patch Day updates for NetWeaver AS for Java
  4. 4. Verify the patch was applied successfully by checking the system version and security configuration
  5. 5. After patching, validate that the naming and directory API access controls are properly enforced
Caveat Review SAP upgrade guide for potential compatibility changes between 7.50 versions; test thoroughly in non-production environment

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

Fix this in Netweaver Application Server For Java Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,340
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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-2023-0017 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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