SAP Patches Severe Code Injection Flaw Enabling System Takeover

SAP has issued an emergency patch for a critical Solution Manager vulnerability that allows attackers to run arbitrary code and potentially take full control of affected systems.

The flaw was disclosed as part of SAP’s November 2025 security updates. 

Full Takeover Risk in SAP Solution Manager

The vulnerability (CVE-2025-42887) stems from missing input sanitization within a remote-enabled function module, allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute malicious code directly on SAP Solution Manager (SolMan). 

Because SolMan acts as the central orchestration layer for nearly all SAP environments — overseeing configuration, patching, monitoring, diagnostics, and lifecycle management for systems like ERP, CRM, SCM, HR, and analytics — a compromise is dangerous.

If exploited, attackers could pivot across interconnected SAP landscapes, modify or steal sensitive business data, disable security controls, and disrupt mission-critical operations. 

Given Solution Manager’s privileged position within enterprise networks, researchers warn that exploitation could quickly lead to full domain-wide compromise.

SQL Anywhere Monitor Hit With Maximum-Severity Flaw

SAP’s November 2025 security release also addressed a second, maximum-severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-42890, in the non-GUI variant of SQL Anywhere Monitor. 

Assigned a 10.0 CVSS score, the flaw is caused by hardcoded credentials embedded directly in the application — effectively giving attackers a built-in administrative backdoor.

If these credentials are obtained or brute-forced, adversaries could access monitoring interfaces, escalate privileges, or execute arbitrary code without detection.

Because SQL Anywhere Monitor is commonly deployed on unattended database appliances and remote systems with minimal oversight, SAP warns that exploitation could remain unnoticed for long periods.

This increases the risk of data theft, service disruption, or lateral movement into broader SAP and database environments.

Additional Vulnerabilities Addressed in SAP’s November Update

Beyond the two critical vulnerabilities, SAP’s November 2025 update included one high-severity fix (CVE-2025-42940) and 14 medium-severity patches. 

The concentration of high-impact vulnerabilities underscores how attractive SAP environments are to cybercriminals seeking access to financial systems, proprietary data, and business-critical infrastructure.

Essential Steps to Reduce SAP Security Risk

To mitigate risk, organizations should take the following steps:

• Apply the latest patch and validate remediation through system-wide vulnerability scans.
• Segment SAP Solution Manager, restrict outbound internet access, and enforce least-privilege access with MFA.
• Disable unused or high-risk remote function modules and follow SAP hardening guidelines for ABAP, Java, and RFC configurations.
• Monitor SAP systems with SIEM and IDS/IPS integrations to detect anomalous API calls, command injections, or privilege escalation attempts.
• Audit and rotate all service accounts and credentials regularly, eliminating weak, unused, or hardcoded access pathways.
• Conduct ongoing SAP security assessments, penetration tests, and configuration reviews focused on high-value management components.

Used together, these controls help strengthen the resilience of SAP landscapes against threats.

Why Reactive Patching Isn’t Enough for SAP

These newly disclosed vulnerabilities highlight the importance of maintaining security best practices across SAP environments. 

As threat actors continue to target enterprise resource platforms for high-value access, organizations must move beyond just reactive patching and adopt proactive, layered defense strategies. 

These escalating risks make it clear that organizations must strengthen their core security posture — starting with foundational zero-trust principles.