Vahagn Vardanian

Co-founder and CTO of RedRays

November 12, 2025
11:27 am

SAP Security Advisory – CVE-2025-42890

Critical Hard-Coded Credentials Vulnerability in SQL Anywhere Monitor (Non-GUI)

CVSS Score
10.0

Severity
CRITICAL

Priority
HotNews

Published
Nov 11, 2025

🚨 Critical Alert

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: SQL Anywhere Monitor contains hardcoded credentials that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution with complete system compromise.

Attack Vector: Network (Remote)
Authentication: None Required
Impact: Complete System Compromise (CIA Triad: HIGH/HIGH/HIGH)
Exploitation: Active exploitation possible

Executive Summary

SAP SQL Anywhere Monitor (Non-GUI) version 17.0 contains hardcoded credentials embedded directly in the application code, specifically in the migrator.jar file. These credentials provide unauthenticated attackers with the ability to access the monitoring database (samonitor.db) and execute arbitrary code without any authentication requirements.

The vulnerability exists because SAP distributed a pre-configured monitoring database with default credentials that were never meant to be changed by users. This poses a maximum severity risk (CVSS 10.0) as it allows complete system takeover from remote attackers over the network.

Vulnerability Details

Affected Component: SAP SQL Anywhere Monitor (Non-GUI)
Affected Versions: SQL Anywhere 17.0 (all builds prior to 17.0 SP1 PL20 Build 8039)
SAP Note: 3666261

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability stems from hardcoded database credentials embedded in the com.ianywhere.serverMonitor.migrator.MonitorMigrator Java class within migrator.jar. The credentials are used to construct JDBC connection strings for accessing the SQL Anywhere Monitor database.

Evidence: Hardcoded Credentials Found

Location: migrator.jar → com/ianywhere/serverMonitor/migrator/MonitorMigrator.class

Hex Dump Evidence:

Username (UID):
Hex: 3b 55 49 44 3d 01 00 04 6d 64 62 61
ASCII: ;UID=....mdba
Value: mdba

Password (PWD):
Hex: 3b 50 57 44 3d 01 00 52 45 44 52 41 59 53 
ASCII: ;PWD=....sql%REDACTED%
Value: sql%REDACTED%

JDBC Connection String Pattern:

jdbc:sql%REDACTED%where:START=dbsrv17 -gd all -hV;ENG=...;
  DBF=...;DBN=samon_src;UID=mdba;ASTART=YES

jdbc:sql%REDACTED%where:ENG=samon_dest;PWD=sql%REDACTED%

Attack Scenario

Attacker identifies SQL Anywhere 17.0 installation with Monitor enabled
Attacker connects to the monitoring database using credentials: mdba / sql%REDACTED%
Attacker gains full database access and can execute arbitrary SQL commands
Through database access, attacker achieves code execution on the host system
Complete system compromise with access to all data and system resources

Impact Assessment

Confidentiality: HIGH - Complete access to monitoring data and potentially all database content
Integrity: HIGH - Ability to modify database content, configuration, and system files
Availability: HIGH - Capability to disrupt or destroy database and monitoring services
Scope: CHANGED - Impact extends beyond the vulnerable component to connected systems

Root Cause Analysis

Why This Vulnerability Exists

According to SAP Note 3666261, the SQL Anywhere Monitor was provided as a mitigation for Adobe Flash deprecation. To allow users to continue using monitoring functionality without migrating to SQL Anywhere Cockpit, SAP included a pre-configured monitoring database (samonitor.db) with the installation package.

The Problem: This pre-configured database was distributed with hardcoded default credentials that were never intended to be changed by end users. Environments that deployed SQL Anywhere Monitor without implementing additional security controls were left vulnerable to unauthorized access.

Fix Analysis: Build 8038 → Build 8039

Build 8038 (VULNERABLE)

samonitor.db (5.9 MB) - Pre-configured database with credentials
samonitor.db1 - Transaction log
migrator.jar (60 KB) - Contains hardcoded credentials
Monitor fully functional with default credentials

Build 8039 (PATCHED)

samonitor.sql (18 KB) - Schema definition only
samonitor.sql1 - Empty schema template
migrator.jar (58 KB) - Credentials removed
Monitor database completely removed

Mitigation Strategy

SAP's fix takes a complete removal approach rather than attempting to change default credentials. The patch:

Removes the pre-configured samonitor.db database entirely from the distribution
Provides only SQL schema definitions (samonitor.sql) for manual database creation
Updates migrator.jar to remove hardcoded credentials
Forces administrators to manually create monitoring databases with unique credentials
Deletes existing monitor databases during patch installation (with data unload option)

Remediation Actions

Priority 1: Emergency Patch Deployment

Install SQL Anywhere 17.0 SP1 PL20 Build 8039 immediately
Download: SAP Software Downloads
Documentation: SAP Note 3666261

Priority 2: Immediate Workaround (If Patching Not Immediately Possible)

# Stop SQL Anywhere Monitor service
dbstop -c "ENG=samonitor;UID=dba;PWD=sql"

# Locate and delete all samonitor database files
find / -name "samonitor*.db" -type f -delete
find / -name "samonitor*.log" -type f -delete

# Verify deletion
find / -name "samonitor*" -type f

Priority 3: Network-Level Protection

Block network access to SQL Anywhere Monitor ports (default: TCP 2638, 2639)
Implement firewall rules restricting access to trusted management networks only
Enable network-level authentication and encryption (TLS)
Monitor for suspicious connection attempts to monitoring database

Priority 4: Migration Path

Migrate to SQL Anywhere Cockpit for secure monitoring functionality.
SQL Anywhere Cockpit provides modern monitoring capabilities without the security risks of the deprecated Monitor component.

Detection and Verification

1. Identify SQL Anywhere Installations

# Check SQL Anywhere version
dbversion -q

# Vulnerable if output shows: Version 17.0 Build < 8039

2. Check for Monitor Database Files

# Search for samonitor database files
find /opt/sql%REDACTED%where17 -name "samonitor.db"
dir C:\SAP\sql%REDACTED%where17 /s /b | findstr samonitor.db

# If files exist: VULNERABLE

3. Verify Patch Installation

# After patching, verify:
ls -la *samonitor*

# Expected output (Build 8039+):
# samonitor.sql (schema only, ~18KB)
# NO samonitor.db files should exist

4. Security Audit

Review firewall logs for unauthorized connection attempts to ports 2638, 2639
Check SQL Anywhere audit logs for suspicious authentication attempts
Search for user accounts: mdba, dba with recent activity
Review application logs for unusual database queries or admin operations

Timeline

Nov 11, 2025

CVE-2025-42890 Published — SAP releases security note 3666261

Nov 11, 2025

Patch Released — SQL Anywhere 17.0 SP1 PL20 Build 8039 available

Nov 12, 2025

Technical Analysis — Hardcoded credentials identified in migrator.jar

References and Resources

SAP Security Note 3666261 — Official SAP security advisory
CVE-2025-42890 — CVE database entry
SAP Software Downloads — Download patched version
SQL Anywhere 17.0 Documentation — Product documentation
Component: BC-SYB-SQA-ADM (SQL Anywhere - Admin Tools)
Affected Versions: SYBASE_SQL_ANYWHERE_SERVER 17.0