CVE-2026-44754: SAP ODP-RFC Missing Authorization – Data Disclosure Risk

Technical summary

The ODP-RFC modules lack proper caller authentication and authorization controls (CWE-862: Missing Authorization). Applications can invoke RFC functions without the system verifying whether they are SAP-sanctioned internal callers or permitted to access sensitive operational data. Because the control is missing at the RFC interface layer—a core data extraction mechanism—unauthorized applications may read data they should not access. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C) reflects that exploitation requires network access, high privilege, and specific conditions, but once those conditions exist, the scope can cross security boundaries and expose confidential information.

Business impact

Data disclosure is the primary business risk. ODP is used to replicate operational data across SAP landscapes, often containing customer records, transaction details, and financial information. If unauthorized applications gain read access, sensitive business data could be exposed to internal bad actors, rogue third-party vendors, or attackers who have compromised a high-privileged account. While integrity and availability remain intact, regulatory compliance (GDPR, SOX, HIPAA) and customer trust may be affected if data exfiltration occurs. The risk is amplified in multi-tenant or partner-integration environments where third-party code is executed.

Affected systems

Any SAP environment running the Operational Data Provisioning (ODP) module with Remote Function Call (RFC) interfaces is potentially affected. This includes SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA, and legacy ECC systems using ODP for data replication. Vulnerability impact depends on what sensitive data is configured for replication and which third-party or custom applications are integrated into the landscape. Environments with high-privileged accounts used for batch jobs, APIs, or third-party integrations face elevated risk.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires high-privilege access (PR:H), making opportunistic attacks unlikely. An attacker would need to either compromise or socially engineer a system administrator, batch job account, or service user with RFC execution rights. Once that access is obtained, however, no special technical skill is needed to invoke ODP-RFC functions and read data. The high complexity (AC:H) suggests mitigating factors exist but are not foolproof—for instance, the attacker must know the target system's RFC connectivity and data structures. Active exploitation in the wild is not reported, and this is not listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Remediation

Apply SAP's patch for CVE-2026-44754 when available (verify against the official SAP security advisory for exact version numbers and product applicability). The fix restores proper authorization checks to ODP-RFC modules so only SAP-internal or explicitly approved applications can invoke sensitive functions. Until patching is possible, apply compensating controls: audit all RFC connections and terminate those not needed for production; enforce network segmentation to restrict RFC traffic to known endpoints; implement detailed RFC logging and set up alerts for unusual ODP data reads; and review third-party application integrations to disable ODP-RFC calls not essential for business processes.

Patch guidance

Monitor SAP Security Notes and the official security bulletin for CVE-2026-44754 to identify the specific patch version and product versions affected. Follow SAP's guidance on whether the fix applies to your landscape (S/4HANA, ECC, BW/4HANA, etc.). Apply patches in a test environment first, especially in ODP-dependent landscapes where data replication is mission-critical. Coordinate with SAP Basis and application teams to schedule patching during maintenance windows. Post-patch, re-enable ODP-RFC interfaces only for verified, necessary callers and test data flows to confirm no legitimate integrations are broken.

Detection guidance

Monitor RFC logs (transaction SM51/SM52) for unusual ODP-RFC calls, particularly from non-SAP applications or unexpected user accounts. Use SAP's ABAP runtime diagnostics to trace who is calling ODP-RFC modules. Set up alerts for READ operations on ODP tables (e.g., RSOADSO_DATA) from applications outside the expected whitelist. Implement continuous monitoring of data extraction patterns—large or frequent ODP replication jobs can signal unauthorized access. Leverage SAP Audit Log analysis (transaction SM20) to identify caller details and correlation with known third-party integrations. Cross-reference RFC access with your approved integration inventory.

Why prioritize this

While CVSS is 6.6 (MEDIUM), this vulnerability deserves prioritized attention in SAP-heavy organizations because (1) ODP is foundational to SAP data ecosystems and often replicates the most sensitive operational data; (2) the attack path—compromising a high-privileged account—is realistic given the prevalence of shared service accounts in SAP environments; (3) the lack of integrity impact is cold comfort if customer or financial data is exposed; and (4) it has likely gone undetected in many landscapes due to poor RFC logging. Even in low-attack-probability scenarios, data exposure consequences are severe. Not a KEV candidate, but core to any SAP security program.

Risk score, explained

CVSS 6.6 reflects a MEDIUM risk assessment: high confidentiality impact (C:H) and low availability impact (A:L), balanced by high privilege requirement (PR:H) and high complexity (AC:H). The scope change (S:C) indicates that a compromised RFC caller can affect data confidentiality across trust boundaries. The score does not account for business context—in data-critical SAP landscapes, the actual operational risk may feel higher. Adjust local risk ratings if you operate a multi-tenant SAP landscape, process regulated data, or rely on numerous third-party integrations that use RFC.

Frequently asked questions