# CVE-2021-40501: Missing authorization in SAP ABAP Platform Kernel

> An authenticated business user can escalate privileges to read and modify data beyond their authorized scope in the SAP ABAP Platform Kernel.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 10 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wh2j-mxwv-765p

## What is CVE-2021-40501?

CVE-2021-40501 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in SAP ABAP Platform Kernel, published on 10 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SAP ABAP Platform Kernel - versions 7.77, 7.81, 7.85, 7.86, does not perform necessary authorization checks for an authenticated business user, resulting in escalation of privileges. That means this business user is able to read and modify data beyond the vulnerable system. However, the attacker can neither significantly reduce the performance of the system nor stop the system.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-40501?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sap Abap Platform Kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-40501?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-40501 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-40501 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-40501 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SAP ABAP Platform Kernel

- [CVE-2023-29108](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29108/): IP filter vulnerability in ABAP Platform and SAP Web Dispatcher (medium 5.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-40501 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-40501 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in SAP ABAP Platform Kernel, published on 10 Nov 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-2021-40501 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SAP ABAP Platform Kernel. 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-2021-40501/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40501/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-40501
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-40501
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-40501

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40501/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.