The SAP Security Blog Archives - Layer Seven Security

Securing Microsoft Platforms with the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP

Layer Seven on November 23, 2022

SAP systems consist of multiple integrated technological layers. SAP solutions comprise the application layer. The application layer is supported by database and operating system layers. The layers are closely integrated to form a software ecosystem linked through several connections including trust relationships that bond the layers to form an SAP system. The layers are more tightly integrated in SAP HANA installations where application, database and OS functions can share physical resources.

Since SAP systems are comprised of multiple layers, security must be applied across all layers within a system. Threat actors can bypass secure SAP applications by targeting weaknesses at the database or OS level to compromise SAP systems. Ransomware, for example, can lead to a denial-of-service for SAP services by exploiting vulnerable operating systems. Application-level data protection mechanisms can be bypassed by exfiltrating data in SAP solutions directly from the database.

The need to secure databases and operating systems in SAP systems is more pressing when SAP applications are coupled with Microsoft platforms that are widely targeted by threat actors and suffer from a host of known vulnerabilities and exploits. The Cybersecurity Extension for SAP is the only security solution that secures all layers within SAP systems including databases and operating systems.

Together with over 2000 vulnerability checks for SAP solutions, the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP performs automated vulnerability scans for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Server to detect more than 300 known security weaknesses in the platforms. This includes active vulnerable services that widen the attack surface for databases and hosts, authentication settings including password policies, file and table encryption, users with administrative privileges including system and user administration, the availability of standard users, logging and auditing, open ports and services, and host firewall settings.

The Cybersecurity Extension for SAP also monitors database and operating logs to detect indicators of compromise in Microsoft platforms and trigger alerts and email/ SMS notifications for security incidents. This includes system, role and user changes, direct access to user tables, changes to database schemas, user groups, scheduled tasks, stored procedures, passwords and firewall settings, failed logons including attempted remote logons, packets blocked by host firewalls, remote procedure calls, service activation, device and program installation, and changes to system auditing.

Webinar Playback: SIEM Integration for SAP

Layer Seven on March 17, 2020

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems support centralized security monitoring across networks. They ingest and analyze data from hosts, routers, switches, firewalls and other components to identify and respond to security threats.

SIEM systems can ingest data directly from SAP application logs. However, direct integration is complex and laborious. It also requires high maintenance and may substantially increase costs if SIEM licensing is tied to log size or events per second.

This challenge can be overcome by integrating SAP logs with SIEM systems using SAP Solution Manager, a management server in SAP landscapes. Solution Manager filters, structures and enriches security event data in SAP logs to support fast, seamless integration with SIEM systems.

This webinar recording discusses the challenges of direct ingestion of SAP logs and the benefits of integration using Solution Manager. It also provides recommendations for configuring audit settings and policies for the following data sources in SAP:

Security Audit Log
System Log
ICM Log
Business Transaction Analysis
Gateway Log
Change Documents
Read Access Log
Java Security Log
HANA Audit Log
SAProuter Log

The webinar is a digest of the whitepaper SIEM Integration for SAP.

You can download the whitepaper here .

Prevent Configuration Drift with SAP Solution Manager

Layer Seven on February 18, 2020

Maintaining system security in dynamic SAP environments is a constant challenge. New users are added every day. Permissions for existing users are constantly updated to keep up with changing requirements. Software updates, transports and other changes introduce new components or developments and often necessitate changes to system settings. With each change, even hardened systems can become less secure and more vulnerable to intrusion.

To some extent, the risk of configuration drift can be managed through regular vulnerability scanning. However, scan results only identify the consequences of changes, not the root cause. Periodic audits of system and user changes can also help to address the risk. Audits can uncover compliance gaps against change management protocols, but are limited in scope since they are usually performed manually.

Change Analysis in SAP Solution Manager provides an automated response to the risk of configuration drift in SAP systems. The application tracks changes in systems including ABAP, HANA, Java parameters, database and operating system settings, user privileges, notes, software updates, and transport requests. The tool maintains a history of changes performed in each system for two years.

Change Analysis is accessed from the Root Cause Analysis work center in the Fiori launchpad for SAP Solution Manager.

Scope selection supports filtering of changes by system, type or environment.

Results can be filtered further to focus on changes within a specific time frame.

The filtered results are summarized in the dashboard below.

The dashboard supports drilldown from summarized results by system and category into detailed changes. In the example below, the results reveal that the value of parameter gw/accept_timeout was modified in system AS2 at 3.00PM on February 11, 2020.

In another example, the results reveal that the profile SAP_ALL was assigned to the user ATTACKER9 on the same day in the identical system.

Notifications for changes to critical areas can be configured using the monitoring and alerting framework within Solution Manager. The notification below is an alert for changes to RFC destinations. Email and SMS notifications for changes are also supported. Alerts can be integrated with SIEM systems or incident management systems for automated ticketing.

Change Reporting can be used to compare the configuration of different systems.

It can also be used to compare the configuration of the same system using different timestamps. In the example below, we are comparing the configuration of system ECP on February 6 with January 22 to identify changes that occurred in the system during the interval.

The comparison tool is useful for identifying not only changes that may lead to configuration drift within systems but also differences between settings in production environments and other environments such as quality or development. The comparison results are displayed in the Result Details and can be exported for analysis. According to the results below, the SAP_UI component was upgraded in ECP from version 751 to 753 during the interval.

Whitepaper: SIEM Integration for SAP

Layer Seven on January 17, 2020

Download the new whitepaper for SAP-SIEM integration from Layer Seven Security. The whitepaper outlines recommended settings for the Security Audit Log, HANA audit log, and other logs to support advanced threat detection. It discusses the challenges of direct integration of SAP logs with SIEM systems in terms of complexity, log volume, maintenance, and event correlation.

The whitepaper advocates SIEM integration using SAP Solution Manager based on benefits such as lower complexity, rapid deployment, reduced costs, ease of maintenance, and the enrichment of event data to support cross-platform correlation.

The SIEM Integrator for SAP is a software add-on for SAP Solution Manager that delivers automated threat detection for SAP systems. The add-on supports integration with SIEM platforms including Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight, LogRhythm and SolarWinds. The Integrator includes 300+ attack detection patterns for SAP platforms and logs.

Season’s Greetings

Layer Seven on December 17, 2019

2019 was a stellar year. In case you missed them, check out the enhancements we rolled out during the year

> CVA – SolMan Integration – Monitor vulnerabilities in your custom programs using SAP Code Vulnerability Analyzer and SAP Solution Manager
> Fiori Reports & Dashboards – Manage vulnerabilities and threats directly from the SAP Fiori Launchpad for Solution Manager
> SolMan – SIEM Integration – Connectors for Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight & LogRhythm to integrate alerts from SAP Solution Manager with SIEM platforms
> Database Monitoring – Security frameworks for IBM, Oracle, Microsoft and Sybase databases

We’re hard at work preparing next year’s enhancements. Watch out for the following in 2020

> Host Security Monitoring – Monitor Linux and Windows hosts for SAP applications with the Remote OS Script Collector in SAP Solution Manager
> End User Monitoring – Real-time user monitoring with SAP Focused Run
> Machine Learning – Predictive analytics for system anomalies using SAP Focused Run
> FRUN – SolMan Integration – Monitor Focused Run alerts for system and user anomalies in SAP Solution Manager

Catch up with us at the upcoming events below

RSA 2020, San Francisco, February 24-28
SAPinsider 2020, Las Vegas, March 17-19

Best wishes from Layer Seven Security

SAP Vulnerability Assessment vs Penetration Testing

Layer Seven on September 19, 2019

Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing both serve important functions for protecting business applications against security threats. The approaches are complementary but should be deployed sequentially. Penetration testing against systems and applications that have not been hardened based on the results of vulnerability assessments is inadvisable since the results are predictable. The objective of penetration testing is to assess the strength of security defenses, not to exploit ill-equipped and unprepared systems and processes to prove a point.

Therefore, vulnerability assessments should be performed ahead of penetration tests. The results of comprehensive vulnerability scans inform organizations of configuration, program, user and other weaknesses that could be exploited to compromise systems during real or simulated attacks. The recommendations resulting from the assessments enable organizations to remediate security weaknesses using a prioritized approach. It also supports the implementation of counter measures to detect and respond to potential attacks.

Once systems are hardened and defenses are prepared, performing a penetration test is a valuable exercise to test the adequacy of security mechanisms. The lessons learned from the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities during penetration tests can be applied to address areas that may have been overlooked or inadequately secured after vulnerability assessments. Penetration testing against hardened systems that are actively monitored for attacks forces pen testers to exercise more complex and difficult attack vectors. It also compels pen testers to deploy evasive techniques to avoid detection. This improves the quality of penetration tests and the reliability of the results, providing a stronger litmus test for system security, threat detection and incident response.

Monitoring Security Alerts with SAP Solution Manager

Layer Seven on August 14, 2019

There are several apps available in SAP Solution Manager for monitoring security alerts for SAP systems. The most longstanding is the Alert Inbox which provides an overview of alerts by process area. Guided procedures for investigating security alerts are executed from the Alert Inbox. Another option is System Monitoring which provides a more user-friendly interface for navigating incidents than the Alert Inbox. System Monitoring includes the Alert Ticker displayed in the right pane of the app for monitoring incidents in real-time.

SAP Solution Manager 7.2 SP07 introduced a third option for monitoring alerts called Monitor Systems. The app is delivered in the new work center Application Operations.

System Monitoring and the Alert Inbox are Web Dynpro applications. Monitor Systems, however, is a SAPUI5 application based on the Fiori framework. Therefore, Monitor Systems delivers exceptional performance with alerts loading and refreshing at much faster rates than both the Alert Inbox and System Monitoring. The performance gains are considerable even for SAP Solution Manager installations running on conventional databases rather than SAP HANA.

You can access Monitor Systems from the SAP Fiori Launchpad using the roles SAP_STUI_APPOPS_AUTH and SAP_STUI_APPOPS_TCR.

The initial screen summarizes alerts open alerts by systems and components.

Alerts are categorized by the groups below. Security alerts triggered by the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP Solution Manager are categorized in the Configuration and Exception classes.

Results can be filtered or sorted by clicking by system and category.

Systems can also be labeled as favorites for fast selection.

You can view details of open alerts for each system by clicking on the system. Below are alerts for security configuration issues impacting system AS2.

Below are security exceptions detected through real-time monitoring of event logs in the system.

We can drill down into the details of each alert by clicking on Critical Metrics. For example, we can investigate the alert below for the Actions by the Standard SAP* User Alert by reviewing the relevant metric.

The Metric Details reveals that there was an attempted logon with the SAP* user from IP address 10.8.91.2 at 12:51 on 2019-08-14. We can execute a guided procedure that will investigate other actions from the source IP directly in the Security Audit Log.

The results can be shared with security operations teams through email by clicking on the Notify option in the Metric Details.

In another example, we can drill down into the alert for active users logged into the system with SAP_ALL in their user buffer to investigate potential privilege escalation. The profile should not be used in productive systems.

10KBLAZE: Secure Your Systems with SAP Solution Manager

Layer Seven on May 13, 2019

On May 2, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert for SAP customers in response to the disclosure of new exploits targeting vulnerable SAP components. According to some reports, the so-called 10KBLAZE exploits could impact 90% of SAP installations worldwide. The exploits target misconfigurations in the gateway server and message server installed in most SAP systems including S/4HANA, ERP and CRM. The successful execution of the exploits could enable attackers to exfiltrate or modify data and provoke a denial of service without authentication. In other words, attackers can completely compromise target SAP systems without any user credentials.

The new exploits target known vulnerabilities addressed by notes and advisories released by SAP since 2005. Note 821875 details measures to secure the message server, including restricting external access, separating internal and external communications, and maintaining secure access control lists. The profile parameter ms/monitor should be set to 0 to prevent external programs such as msmon from administering the message server at the operating system level. Access to transaction SMMS should also be restricted since the setting can be changed dynamically using the Message Server Monitor within the application server. A separate port for internal communication between application servers should be defined using parameter rdisp/msserv_internal. This will prevent external clients from intercepting or rerouting internal message server communications. The port should not be exposed to clients or intranets. Finally, the parameter ms/acl_info should specify the file containing a restrictive access control list of hosts, domains, IP addresses or subnets for application servers permitted to log on with the message server.

ACLs should also be defined for the gateway server to control access to starting external programs. This can be performed using the gateway security file sec_info. The correct syntax for the file depends on the kernel level. For kernel 7.20 and higher, the setting USER-HOST=LOCAL is recommended to protect against 10KBLAZE exploits. This will allow connections from the same server instance. The setting USER-HOST=INTERNAL could be vulnerable but is required for SID clusters. For detailed guidance, refer to Note 1408081. The ACLs should be supported by the setting gw/acl_mode to 1. This parameter defines the behavior of the gateway server if sec_info does not exist.

Since some 10KBLAZE exploits are targeted at modifying or redirecting data packets, enabling SNC to authenticate and encrypt client-server communications is recommended.

SAP systems vulnerable to 10KBLAZE exploits can be discovered using SAP Solution Manager. The Cybersecurity Extension for SAP Solution Manager automatically monitors security settings for the message server and gateway server including profile parameter settings, access control lists and users with critical transactions such as SMMS. The extension also monitors message and gateway logs for external monitor commands, successful and unsuccessful program starts, and other events. Alerts are triggered by the extension for suspected exploits.

The example below illustrates how you can discover insecure sec_info entries that could expose systems to 10KBLAZE exploits.

Click on Vulnerability Report in the Fiori Launchpad.

Filter by ABAP systems, select the check-box for the target system and click on Display.

Filter for vulnerabilities in open status within the area of RFC Security. Click on the check for starting of external programs.

Review the details and recommendation. Click on the linked SAP Notes and SAP Help.

Click on Additional Information to review the insecure entries in the sec_info ACL.

Focus on entries with the setting USER-HOST=internal.

Click on the download icon to export the current settings.

If required, add comments in the Comment section.

The finding for the system will be automatically removed from the report once the sec_info entries are updated. However, you can manually change the status using the Change Status option. Note that status changes are tracked in the extension.

You can also assign responsibility for remediating the finding to specific groups using the Change Owner option.

Webinar: 10KBLAZE – Secure Your SAP Systems with CVA and SolMan

Layer Seven on May 9, 2019

According to a recent report, thousands of SAP installations may be vulnerable to 10KBLAZE exploits targeting SAP applications.

Join SAP and Layer Seven Security to learn how to secure your SAP systems against the exploits with SAP Code Vulnerability Analyzer (CVA) and SAP Solution Manager. CVA performs static code analysis to detect vulnerabilities in custom code. SAP Solution Manager detects vulnerabilities and threats in SAP systems including components such as the gateway server, message server and SAProuter, targeted by 10KBLAZE.

Together, CVA and Solution Manager provide an integrated platform to secure your business-critical SAP systems against 10KBLAZE and other exploits.

Thu, Jun 6, 2019
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Securing Administrative Access in SAP AS Java

Layer Seven on April 25, 2019

The misuse of administrative privileges is a common method used by attackers to compromise applications and propagate attacks to connected systems. The elevated privileges granted to administrative accounts are a prized target for attackers and provide a fast path to accessing or modifying sensitive data, programs and system settings.

User privileges for Java applications are administered through the User Management Engine (UME) in the SAP NetWeaver Application Server for Java (AS Java). The UME is the default user store for AS Java and can be configured to use LDAP directories, AS ABAP, or the system database of AS Java as the data source for user-related data.

UME permissions granted to users can include administrative actions such as Manage_All, Manage_Roles, Manage_Users, Manage_User_Passwords, and other privileged functions. Administrative actions are bundled into roles and granted to users organized into user groups. Standard user groups include the Administrator group, as well as groups such as SAP_J2EE_ADMIN and SAP_SLD_ADMINISTRATOR. The latter includes users with administrative access to the System Landscape Directory. Standard roles include Super Admin and, for Enterprise Portals running on AS Java, Portal System Admin, Portal User Admin and Portal Content Admin.

Access to administrative roles and rights in AS Java should be granted to required users only, based on the principle of least privilege. Users with administrative privileges in AS Java systems can be detected using the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP Solution Manager. The results are displayed in security reports and dashboards. Alerts are also triggered by the extension for new users granted privileged roles and actions for possible privilege escalations. The extension also detects users with administrative rights in ABAP and HANA platforms, as well as SAP-compatible databases including IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Sybase.