Overview
The cybersecurity community has recently identified an alarming vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer, a widely-used web-based software modeling tool. The vulnerability, known as CVE-2025-31324, allows an unauthenticated agent to upload potentially harmful executable binaries due to a lack of proper authorization mechanisms in the Metadata Uploader component. This gaping security hole could have grave implications, as it could lead to severe damage to the host system and significantly compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the targeted system.
Given the widespread use of SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer across various industries, this vulnerability is of paramount importance and requires immediate attention. Moreover, the CVSS Severity Score of 10.0 indicates its criticality and potential for system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-31324
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 10.0)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, Data leakage
Affected Products
No phone number, email, or personal info required.
Product | Affected Versions
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer | All versions prior to the latest patch
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from the lack of proper authorization in the Visual Composer’s Metadata Uploader. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the vulnerable upload functionality without necessary authentication. Through this, they can upload potentially malicious executable binaries that can severely harm the host system. Once uploaded, these harmful files can be executed, leading to unauthorized system access, data corruption, or even a complete system shutdown.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of how an attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability:
POST /MetadataUploader/Upload HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-vc.example.com
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="malicious.exe"
{ binary data of malicious.exe }In this example, the attacker is sending a POST request to the vulnerable upload endpoint of the Visual Composer, posing as an unauthenticated agent. The request includes a malicious executable file (`malicious.exe`), which is uploaded to the server, potentially causing severe harm to the host system. The binary data represents the actual content of the malicious file.
Recommended Mitigation
The ideal solution to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the vendor patch released by SAP. In case the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation. These systems can detect and block malicious file uploads, thereby reducing the risk of exploitation. However, these should not be considered a long-term solution, and applying the vendor patch should be prioritized.