CVE-2025-43003: SAP S/4 HANA Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-43003 Overview

CVE-2025-43003 is an information disclosure vulnerability in SAP S/4HANA. An authenticated attacker with standard user privileges can configure a field they are not authorized to access and embed it into a custom user interface (UI) layout. Rendering that custom layout returns the restricted field value to the attacker, exposing sensitive business data.

The issue is classified under [CWE-749: Exposed Dangerous Method or Function]. It permits horizontal access to data that should be filtered by field-level authorization controls. Exploitation requires a valid session but no user interaction from a victim.

Critical Impact
Authenticated users can bypass field-level access restrictions in SAP S/4HANA and retrieve highly sensitive business records by injecting restricted fields into a self-defined UI layout.

Affected Products

SAP S/4HANA (on-premise editions covered by SAP Note #3596033)
SAP Fiori and Web Dynpro layouts that permit end-user personalization
Deployments where field-level authorization is enforced only at the presentation layer

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-13 - CVE-2025-43003 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-43003

Vulnerability Analysis

SAP S/4HANA lets users personalize UI layouts by selecting which fields appear in list views, object pages, and reports. The personalization service allows an authenticated user to reference fields the user is not entitled to read. When the layout is rendered, the backend fetches and returns the field value without re-validating the caller's authorization against the target field.

The result is a confidentiality breach with limited integrity and availability impact. An attacker can enumerate restricted fields such as compensation, banking details, or supplier contract terms and exfiltrate them through the standard UI. Attack complexity is elevated because the attacker must know or guess the internal field identifiers and construct a valid layout definition.

Root Cause

The vulnerability stems from missing field-level authorization checks in the layout rendering path. Access control is enforced when the standard UI is generated but not when the field set is supplied through a user-defined custom layout. This is a broken access control pattern where a security constraint is applied to one code path but omitted from an alternate path exposing the same data.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed over the network against an authenticated SAP S/4HANA session. The attacker uses the standard personalization interface to add a restricted field identifier to a custom layout. On rendering the layout, the backend returns the sensitive field value in the response payload. No malware, no elevated privileges, and no victim interaction are required.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available. Refer to the vendor advisory for restricted technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43003

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual creation or modification of personalized UI layouts by low-privileged accounts, particularly layouts that reference finance, HR, or supplier-master fields
Application logs showing repeated layout personalization requests followed by data export or print actions
Fiori launchpad or Web Dynpro telemetry indicating access to field identifiers outside the user's role scope

Detection Strategies

Enable SAP Security Audit Log (SAL) events for personalization services and correlate against role-authorization baselines
Alert when a user renders a layout containing fields not present in any of the user's assigned PFCG roles
Baseline normal personalization behavior per role and flag statistical outliers in the number or type of custom fields added

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward SAP application, gateway, and SAL logs into a centralized analytics platform for cross-source correlation
Track SAP Note #3596033 patch deployment status across all SAP S/4HANA systems and alert on drift
Review data-export events (spreadsheet download, print, OData $batch) initiated after personalization changes

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43003

Immediate Actions Required

Apply SAP Note #3596033 during the next available maintenance window on all affected SAP S/4HANA systems
Audit existing custom UI layouts for references to sensitive fields and remove unauthorized personalizations
Restrict personalization authorizations (S_DEVELOP, S_ADMI_FCD, and layout-related PFCG objects) to users with a documented business need

Patch Information

SAP addressed CVE-2025-43003 as part of SAP Security Patch Day. The corrective note is SAP Note #3596033. Additional context is available on the SAP Security Patch Day portal. Customers must be logged in with a valid S-user to download the note.

Workarounds

Disable end-user UI personalization for roles that handle sensitive master data until the patch is applied
Enforce field-level authorization objects at the backend for all sensitive data domains, independent of the UI layer
Restrict access to layout-configuration transactions and Fiori personalization apps through role redesign

bash

# Example: review Security Audit Log filters for personalization activity
# Transaction SM19 / RSAU_CONFIG
# Enable audit classes:
#   - RFC/CPIC logon
#   - Transaction start (personalization tcodes)
#   - Report start (custom layout reports)
# Then review with SM20 / RSAU_READ_LOG