CVE-2025-42890 - SAP SQL Anywhere Monitor Hardcoded Creds RCE

CVE-2025-42890 impacts SAP SQL Anywhere Monitor (Non-GUI), where hardcoded credentials enable arbitrary code execution (RCE) with maximum severity (CVSS 10.0), mapping to T1190 and T1059. SAP’s November 2025 notes also include CVE-2025-42887 (code injection) and an update for CVE-2025-42944 (NetWeaver AS Java hardening). The advisory urges discontinuing the Monitor component and deleting existing monitor databases as a temporary workaround. Mechanistically, embedded secrets in the Monitor expose unintended access paths that allow unauthenticated or trivially authenticated actors to execute code under the service context. As a monitoring tool often granted broad visibility, compromise can cascade into lateral discovery (T1046), credential theft (T1552), and persistence (T1543) in database and app tiers. Because monitors sit near crown-jewel data flows, the operational blast radius can be large. Business risk is critical for enterprises using SQL Anywhere and integrated SAP estates: RCE on a monitor can lead to data exfiltration (T1041), sabotage, and compliance violations (GDPR/PCI-DSS/SOX) if regulated data stores are accessed. While exploitation has not been confirmed publicly, the severity, ease, and placement of the component demand emergency action. Mitigate by disabling and removing SQL Anywhere Monitor instances immediately; follow SAP’s patch and decommission guidance. Inventory where the Monitor is deployed, rotate credentials/secrets broadly, and review logs for anomalous access. Segment management networks, enforce MFA and PAM for administrative interfaces, and deploy EDR rules for command-and-scripting interpreter behavior (T1059).