Subject: SAP-ABAP-crimes in the SAP Field
SAP systems hold some of the most sensitive data in any organization—financial records, employee personal data, customer contracts, and strategic plans. Given this, protecting sensitive data isn’t just a technical requirement; it's a legal, ethical, and business-critical priority.
In the SAP ABAP context, the failure to enforce proper authorizations not only introduces system vulnerabilities but can also lead to ABAP-based crimes—deliberate misuse of access, insider fraud, and data leaks. This article focuses on how to properly secure sensitive data using SAP's authorization mechanisms, and highlights common threats, abuses, and preventative strategies.
Sensitive data may include:
Improper access to or exposure of any of this information can result in regulatory violations (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and financial loss.
SAP's authorization concept provides a granular mechanism to control access at the level of transactions, programs, and even individual fields. Key tools include:
These define the conditions under which users can perform actions, such as ACTVT (activity) on a specific data set.
Within authorization objects, authorization fields restrict access based on attributes like company code, organization unit, or document type.
Roles (created via transaction PFCG) bundle together relevant authorizations for specific job functions—such as HR clerk, finance manager, or system auditor.
Custom ABAP programs must explicitly use the AUTHORITY-CHECK statement to enforce authorizations before reading, modifying, or displaying data.
Custom reports or programs may omit AUTHORITY-CHECK statements, allowing unauthorized users to view or export sensitive data.
Example: A custom report retrieves payroll data without checking user permissions.
Users granted all-access roles like SAP_ALL can access data across modules without justification—a dangerous privilege often exploited in fraud cases.
Malicious code can be embedded in ABAP programs to forcefully override standard checks or export sensitive data to external systems.
Use of tools like RFC, BAPIs, or batch jobs to extract sensitive data—especially when tied to over-privileged technical users—is a frequent attack vector.
Use AUTHORITY-CHECK for every sensitive data operation. Follow it with SY-SUBRC verification to block unauthorized access.
AUTHORITY-CHECK OBJECT 'PA_DATA'
ID 'PERSA' FIELD lv_werks
ID 'ACTVT' FIELD '03'.
IF sy-subrc <> 0.
MESSAGE 'Access denied' TYPE 'E'.
ENDIF.
Use organizational-level objects (like company code, personnel area, or sales organization) to restrict access even within a transaction or report.
Follow the principle of least privilege—only grant users the exact access they need. Audit the use of SAP_ALL or critical roles.
Ensure background jobs and RFC users have tightly scoped roles. Monitor logs for data export activity, especially on critical objects like tables PA0001, BKPF, or KNA1.
Activate audit logging for sensitive objects and regularly review access logs using SAP Security Audit Log (SM20) or third-party SIEM tools.
SAP authorizations are not just about user convenience—they are foundational to protecting sensitive enterprise data. When misused or neglected, they open the door to SAP-ABAP crimes ranging from data theft to financial fraud. Implementing robust, well-audited authorization checks in ABAP development is a non-negotiable requirement for any organization operating SAP systems securely.