• Unpatched systems may contain known vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access, escalate privileges, or compromise sensitive data.
• These exploits may lead to data breaches, operational disruptions, or even full system takeovers.

Many industries require adherence to strict data protection and cybersecurity regulations. Not addressing vulnerabilities can result in non-compliance, potentially leading to hefty fines or legal consequences.

Exploited vulnerabilities can result in downtime, degraded system performance, or loss of critical functionality, directly impacting business operations and productivity.

Unpatched systems may allow attackers to manipulate, steal, or destroy sensitive business data, compromising its integrity and confidentiality.

Security breaches can damage your organization’s reputation, eroding trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders, which could impact long-term business relationships.

Addressing a security incident post-breach is often significantly more expensive than proactively applying patches. Costs may include incident response, forensic investigations, legal fees, and customer compensation.

Many attackers use automated tools to scan for unpatched vulnerabilities, making systems that miss regular updates easy targets for widespread attacks like ransomware or botnets.

• Threat actors monitor SAP Security Notes and other public vulnerability disclosures for details about weaknesses in SAP systems.
• They use automated tools to scan networks for SAP systems with these unpatched vulnerabilities.
• Common exploits include privilege escalation, remote code execution (RCE), or bypassing authentication mechanisms.

• Weak or default credentials in unpatched systems are targeted to gain administrative or privileged access.
• If the system has a vulnerability that exposes user authentication methods, attackers can amplify the impact by stealing and abusing valid credentials.

Remote Function Call (RFC) is a standard communication protocol in SAP systems. Unpatched vulnerabilities or misconfigurations in RFC services can allow attackers to execute unauthorized transactions or inject malicious code.

• SAP systems often rely on gateways to facilitate communication between different modules and third-party applications.
• Threat actors exploit vulnerabilities in these gateways to intercept, manipulate, or redirect communications.

Many SAP systems have web interfaces (e.g., SAP Web Dispatcher, SAP Portal). Vulnerabilities in these components can be used for cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), or SQL injection attacks.

• Certain unpatched vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the SAP server remotely.
• RCE can give attackers full control over the affected system, enabling them to steal data, create backdoors, or disrupt operations.

Threat actors often chain multiple vulnerabilities to achieve a more significant impact. For example, they might exploit one vulnerability to gain access and another to escalate privileges or execute malicious code.

Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) and Java-based components in SAP systems may have vulnerabilities that attackers exploit to manipulate business processes or execute unauthorized functions.

Threat actors might deploy malware, ransomware, or other payloads directly into SAP systems through exploited vulnerabilities, potentially encrypting or exfiltrating sensitive business data.

Insecure configurations, combined with unpatched vulnerabilities, make it easier for attackers to:

• Escalate privileges.
• Move laterally within the network.
• Access sensitive business-critical data.

• Create a formalized procedure for reviewing and applying SAP Security Notes.
• Assign responsibilities for monitoring, analyzing, and implementing patches.

• Subscribe to SAP’s Security Notes mailing list or use the SAP EarlyWatch Alert service to stay informed about new vulnerabilities and patches.
• Use tools like SAP Solution Manager or third-party patch management software to track Security Notes relevant to your landscape.

• SAP Priority Rating: Pay close attention to the priority level assigned to each Security Note (e.g., Hot News, High, Medium, Low).
• CVSS Score: Review the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score to gauge the severity and exploitability of the vulnerability.
• Potential Impact: Assess the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your SAP environment.

• Confirm whether the Security Note applies to your specific SAP systems, modules, and versions.
• Use tools like SAP Landscape Management to identify systems affected by the patch.

• Critical Business Systems: Prioritize patches for systems supporting essential business processes.
• Exposure to External Threats: Address vulnerabilities in systems exposed to the internet or third-party integrations first.
• Exploit Availability: Give immediate attention to vulnerabilities with publicly available exploits.
• Compliance Requirements: Ensure patches are prioritized for systems subject to regulatory requirements.

• Deploy patches in a sandbox or test environment to assess their impact on system functionality.
• Conduct regression testing to ensure critical business processes are not adversely affected.

• Use SAP Solution Manager or other automation tools to streamline patch deployment and minimize human error.
• Implement automation for vulnerability scanning and system monitoring.

•  Maintain a log of applied patches, including the systems affected, testing results, and timelines for deployment.
•  Use this documentation for compliance reporting and audits.

• Engage security, IT, and business teams to ensure alignment on patch prioritization and scheduling.
• Communicate potential downtime or changes to stakeholders to avoid disruptions.

• Conduct periodic vulnerability assessments and penetration tests to identify any missed patches or new risks.
• Compare the results with applied patches to verify the effectiveness of your patch management process.

•  Monitor threat intelligence feeds and SAP-specific advisories to understand the evolving threat landscape.
•  Adjust your patch management strategy to address new attack vectors.

• While patching critical vulnerabilities is a priority, coordinate deployments to minimize disruptions to business operations.
• Implement risk mitigation controls (e.g., access restrictions, monitoring) if immediate patching is not feasible.

• Customization: Many SAP systems are heavily customized, and patches might interfere with bespoke functionalities or integrations.
• Interdependencies: Dependencies between different SAP modules, third-party tools, and legacy systems can complicate the patching process.

• Testing Requirements: Patches must be tested extensively in non-production environments to ensure they do not disrupt business processes.
• Lack of Test Environments: Limited access to sandbox or test systems can delay the verification of patches before deployment.

• Downtime Concerns: Patching often requires system downtime, which can disrupt critical business operations.
• Change Management Hesitation: Organizations may delay patches to avoid potential issues arising from system updates.

• Skill Gaps: A lack of skilled personnel familiar with SAP patch management can slow the process.
• Workload: IT teams often juggle multiple priorities, making it difficult to dedicate time to patching.

• No Defined Workflow: Without a structured process, patch identification, testing, and deployment may be inconsistent or delayed.
• Manual Processes: Relying on manual methods for patching increases the risk of errors and delays.

• Underestimating Risk: Organizations may fail to prioritize critical patches due to a lack of understanding of the risks involved.
• Focus on Operational Issues: Immediate operational concerns might take precedence over proactive security updates.

• Missed Updates: Security Notes may not be monitored regularly, leading to delays in identifying critical patches.
• Limited Tooling: Without automated tools, identifying and applying relevant patches across complex landscapes is challenging.

• Cost of Downtime: Organizations may delay patching to avoid financial losses from system unavailability.
• Tool Investments: Lack of budget for automated patch management solutions can slow the process.

• Strict Change Controls: Industries with stringent compliance requirements may have time-consuming approval processes for system changes.
• Audit Preparations: Preparing for audits can divert resources from patching.

• Siloed Teams: Lack of collaboration between IT, security, and business units can delay patching efforts.
  
• Resistance to Change: Cultural resistance to frequent updates may lead to delays in implementing patches.

• Cumulative Delays: When patching is postponed repeatedly, the backlog grows, making it overwhelming to address all pending updates.
• Chained Dependencies: Some patches may require prerequisites, delaying implementation until earlier updates are applied.

Temporary Solutions: Relying on mitigations like access restrictions or firewalls can lead to a false sense of security, delaying the actual patching.

Vendor-Specific Guidance: Waiting for official guidance or updates from SAP or third-party vendors can cause delays, especially for highly customized systems.

Onapsis automates the identification of SAP system vulnerabilities by mapping them to the latest SAP Security Notes. This ensures organizations are always aware of the most relevant and critical updates needed for their environment.

The platform evaluates the risk levels of vulnerabilities, prioritizing SAP Security Notes based on potential impact. This helps organizations focus their resources on addressing the most critical threats first.

Onapsis provides actionable insights and clear guidance on applying patches, reducing the complexity and time required for remediation efforts. This accelerates the patching process and minimizes system downtime.

By keeping SAP systems up-to-date with the latest Security Notes, Onapsis ensures organizations remain compliant with industry standards, such as GDPR, SOX, and PCI-DSS, which often require proactive vulnerability management.

 The Onapsis platform continuously monitors SAP systems and sends real-time alerts when new SAP Security Notes are released or when vulnerabilities are detected, allowing for immediate action.

Organizations benefit from detailed reports and dashboards that track the status of applied and pending patches. These features support internal and external audits by providing a clear audit trail of patch management activities.

Onapsis integrates seamlessly with existing IT service management and vulnerability management tools, such as ServiceNow and Splunk, ensuring that security updates are incorporated into established operational processes.