# CVE-2021-40496: Information disclosure in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform

> An authenticated attacker can exploit the SAP ICM authentication function to expose sensitive system details via repeated GET requests.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-chrv-p5rc-j7c8

## What is CVE-2021-40496?

CVE-2021-40496 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Sap Netweaver Application Server Abap, published on 12 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SAP Internet Communication framework (ICM) - versions 700, 701, 702, 730, 731, 740, 750, 751, 752, 753, 754, 755, 756, 785, allows an attacker with logon functionality, to exploit the authentication function by using POST and form field to repeat executions of the initial command by a GET request and exposing sensitive data. This vulnerability is normally exposed over the network and successful exploitation can lead to exposure of data like system details.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-40496?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Sap Netweaver Abap, Sap Netweaver Application Server Abap.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-40496?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-40496 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-40496 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-40496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Sap Netweaver Application Server Abap

- [CVE-2012-4341](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4341/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-27610](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27610/): Auth bypass in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2021-38178](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38178/): Business logic in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-22543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22543/): Denial of service in SAP NetWeaver Application Server for ABAP (Kernel) and ABAP Platform (Kernel) (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-38181](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38181/): Denial of service in SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP and ABAP Platform (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-40496 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-40496 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Sap Netweaver Application Server Abap, published on 12 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-40496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Sap Netweaver Application Server Abap. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40496/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40496/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-40496
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-40496
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-40496

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40496/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.