CVE-2016-2386
SAP NetWeaver SQL Injection Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2016-2386 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the UDDI server component of SAP NetWeaver J2EE Engine 7.40. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database without requiring authentication, potentially leading to complete compromise of the SAP database and the sensitive business data it contains. CISA has added CVE-2016-2386 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and with an EPSS score of 44.0% (97th percentile), this SAP NetWeaver SQL injection vulnerability represents a serious and actively targeted threat to enterprise environments.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| sap | netweaver application server java | 7.40 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137129/SAP-NetWeaver-AS-JAVA-7.5-SQL-Injection.html(Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/May/56(Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- https://erpscan.io/advisories/erpscan-16-011-sap-netweaver-7-4-sql-injection-vulnerability/(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
- https://erpscan.io/press-center/blog/sap-security-notes-february-2016-review/(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory)
- https://github.com/vah13/SAP_exploit(Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39840/(Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43495/(Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-2386(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE-2016-2386 exploits a SQL injection weakness in SAP NetWeaver's UDDI server, where user-supplied input is incorporated into SQL queries without proper neutralization of special characters. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code that is executed by the database engine, enabling unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion across the entire SAP database.
Learn more: CWE-89 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Impact Analysis
CVE-2016-2386 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability that is remotely exploitable without authentication, making it accessible to any attacker who can reach the SAP NetWeaver UDDI server over the network. The attack complexity is low, requiring only crafted HTTP requests containing malicious SQL payloads. Confidentiality is critically impacted as an attacker can extract the entire database contents including financial records, employee data, and business-critical information. Integrity is severely affected since SQL injection enables modification or deletion of database records. Availability can also be impacted through destructive SQL commands or resource exhaustion. The EPSS score of 44.0% (97th percentile) indicates a very high likelihood of active exploitation, and the SAP NetWeaver platform's prevalence in enterprise environments means the potential blast radius of a successful attack is enormous.
Exploit Maturity
CISA has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2016-2386 by including it in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a remediation deadline of June 30, 2022. The EPSS score of 44.0% (97th percentile) reflects a very high exploitation probability, indicating sustained attacker interest in this vulnerability. No specific ransomware campaigns have been publicly linked to CVE-2016-2386, but SQL injection vulnerabilities in enterprise platforms like SAP are high-value targets for both data theft and extortion. The vulnerability is often referenced alongside CVE-2016-2388 (an information disclosure flaw in the same SAP NetWeaver component), suggesting that attackers may chain these vulnerabilities for maximum impact.
Remediation
- Apply the SAP security patch immediately as required by the CISA KEV catalog. Install the SAP Security Note that addresses CVE-2016-2386 on all SAP NetWeaver J2EE Engine 7.40 instances.
- Disable or restrict access to the UDDI server component if it is not required for business operations, as this eliminates the attack surface entirely for this specific vulnerability.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules in front of SAP NetWeaver instances, specifically configured to inspect requests to the UDDI server endpoints for SQL injection patterns.
- Audit database activity logs for indicators of SQL injection exploitation, including unusual query patterns, mass data extraction, administrative SQL commands from application accounts, or error messages indicating malformed queries.
- Implement parameterized queries across all custom SAP NetWeaver development to prevent similar SQL injection vulnerabilities, and apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by SAP applications.
Technical Details
CVE-2016-2386 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) server component of SAP NetWeaver J2EE Engine 7.40. The vulnerability exists because user-supplied input passed to the UDDI server is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. An attacker can craft HTTP requests containing SQL metacharacters and injected SQL statements that are interpreted and executed by the underlying database engine. The UDDI server is accessible over the network without authentication, allowing any attacker with network connectivity to the SAP server to exploit this flaw. Depending on the database backend and its configuration, successful exploitation can range from data extraction (using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques) to operating system command execution (through database-specific features like xp_cmdshell on SQL Server).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2016-2386 being actively exploited?
Yes. CISA has added CVE-2016-2386 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation. The EPSS score of 44.0% (97th percentile) indicates a very high probability of exploitation. No specific ransomware usage has been confirmed, but SQL injection in enterprise SAP systems is a high-value target for data theft.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-2386?
CVE-2016-2386 affects the UDDI server component of SAP NetWeaver J2EE Engine version 7.40. Organizations running this version should apply the SAP Security Note patch immediately. The UDDI component may be present even if not actively used.
How do I fix CVE-2016-2386?
Apply the SAP Security Note that patches CVE-2016-2386 on all affected SAP NetWeaver J2EE Engine 7.40 instances. If patching is not immediately possible, disable or restrict network access to the UDDI server component. Deploy WAF rules to detect SQL injection attempts against the affected endpoint.
How severe is CVE-2016-2386?
CVE-2016-2386 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability with an EPSS score of 44.0% in the 97th percentile. It allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially extracting or modifying all data in the SAP database. The combination of no authentication requirement, remote exploitability, and confirmed active exploitation makes this a critical priority for remediation.
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