CVE-2023-33989
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 · uneditedAn attacker with non-administrative authorizations in SAP NetWeaver (BI CONT ADD ON) - versions 707, 737, 747, 757, can exploit a directory traversal flaw to over-write system files. Data from confidential files cannot be read but potentially some OS files can be over-written leading to system compromise.
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 confidenceA directory traversal vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver BI Content Add-On versions 707, 737, 747, and 757 allows authenticated non-administrative users to manipulate file paths and overwrite arbitrary operating system files, potentially leading to full system compromise.
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= 707= 737= 747= 757CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm SAP NetWeaver BI Content Add-On installationLocate the SAP NetWeaver BI Content Add-On installation directory or check SAP LMDB (Landscape Management Database) for installed software components. Look for components with names containing 'BI Content' or 'XCM' in the SAP system.Affected if The Add-On is present on the system
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Identify installed versionCheck the installed version of the SAP NetWeaver BI Content Add-On using SAP transaction code SM37, SPAM, or by querying the SAP table for component versions (e.g., CVERS or via SAINT).Affected if Version is 707, 737, 747, or 757 exactly as listed in affected versions
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Verify file system write access for non-administrative usersReview the operating system file permissions on the SAP instance directories. Check whether authenticated non-administrative (dialog) users have write permissions to directories outside the intended upload folders.Affected if Non-administrative users have write access to sensitive directories
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Check for exposed file handling interfacesIdentify if any SAP BI Content interfaces that handle file paths or uploads are exposed to non-administrative users. Review SAP Gateway services and ICF (Internet Communication Framework) paths related to BI Content.Affected if File manipulation interfaces are accessible to non-administrative users
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Audit user roles and authorizationUse SAP transaction code SUIM or PFCG to review roles assigned to non-administrative users. Check if any roles grant unauthorized file system access or path traversal capabilities.Affected if Non-administrative users possess roles enabling file path manipulation
You are affected if SAP NetWeaver BI Content Add-On versions 707, 737, 747, or 757 are installed AND non-administrative users can access file handling functionality.
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 SAP security patches for CVE-2023-33989 immediately and restrict file system write permissions for non-administrative users until the patch is deployed.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $4,128.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-33989 — 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-2023-33989 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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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.
- 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