CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2021-37531 — Sap Netweaver Knowledge Management Xml Forms security vulnerability

Critical CVSS 9.9

SAP NetWeaver Knowledge Management XML Forms versions - 7.10, 7.11, 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, 7.50, contains an XSLT vulnerability which allows a non-administrative authenticated attacker to craft a malicious XSL stylesheet file containing a script with OS-level commands, copy it into a location to be accessed by the system and then create a file which will trigger the XSLT engine to execute the script contained within the malicious XSL file. This can result in a full compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.9 (3.0)
Published
2021-09-14
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-78

Affected products

  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.10
  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.11
  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.30
  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.31
  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.40
  • sap / netweaver_knowledge_management_xml_forms / 7.50

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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