Subject Area: SAP-ABAP (Security & Access Control)
In any enterprise system, ensuring that users can only access data and perform actions they are authorized for is critical to protecting sensitive business information. In the SAP ecosystem, failing to implement proper authorization checks in ABAP code can lead to serious breaches — what may be termed SAP-ABAP "crimes" against security best practices.
This article explores the importance of authorization checks in ABAP, how to implement them correctly, and how to prevent access violations that can compromise business integrity.
ABAP programs often access or manipulate sensitive business data — such as employee records, financial documents, or customer data. If a developer fails to enforce proper authorization, any user with access to the program could potentially:
This makes authorization enforcement not only a technical necessity but a compliance and audit requirement for most organizations.
SAP authorization objects are security constructs that define the fields and values a user must have access to in order to perform specific operations.
Each object includes fields (e.g., Company Code, Activity) that must match the user’s assigned authorizations.
AUTHORITY-CHECK StatementThis ABAP statement checks whether the current user has the necessary authorization for a specific operation.
AUTHORITY-CHECK OBJECT 'S_TCODE'
ID 'TCD' FIELD 'VA01'. " Check if user can execute VA01 transaction
IF sy-subrc <> 0.
MESSAGE 'You are not authorized to execute this action.' TYPE 'E'.
ENDIF.
sy-subrc = 0: Authorization successfulsy-subrc <> 0: Authorization failedAUTHORITY-CHECK OBJECT 'F_BKPF_BUK'
ID 'BUKRS' FIELD lv_bukrs
ID 'ACTVT' FIELD '03'. " Read activity
IF sy-subrc <> 0.
MESSAGE 'You are not authorized to display documents for this company code.' TYPE 'E'.
ENDIF.
This check ensures the user has permission to read (03) documents for the specific company code (BUKRS).
Every custom report, transaction, or interface should include explicit authorization checks for sensitive data or operations.
Avoid hardcoding values. Instead, use variables and dynamic input to determine what access the user should be validated against.
Use SU24 to define default authorization objects and fields for custom transactions. This ensures role builders in PFCG include necessary objects automatically.
For critical actions, consider logging failed authorization attempts for auditing purposes.
To avoid redundancy and errors, encapsulate common checks in utility classes or function modules.
METHOD check_user_authorization.
AUTHORITY-CHECK OBJECT 'Z_MY_OBJECT'
ID 'Z_FIELD1' FIELD lv_value
ID 'ACTVT' FIELD '03'.
IF sy-subrc <> 0.
RAISE EXCEPTION TYPE zcx_auth_error
EXPORTING textid = zcx_auth_error=>not_authorized.
ENDIF.
ENDMETHOD.
| Violation | Description |
|---|---|
| Missing Checks | Custom report allows all users to download payroll data. |
| Excessive Authorizations | Assigning SAP_ALL to users due to lazy troubleshooting. |
| No Logging | Critical actions like deletions aren’t tracked or monitored. |
| UI-Only Security | Relying on hiding buttons without enforcing backend checks. |
Authorization checks are the gatekeepers of SAP data. Poorly implemented or missing checks create vulnerabilities that could lead to serious compliance breaches or internal misuse — the so-called “SAP-ABAP crimes.” As a developer, embedding proper AUTHORITY-CHECK logic in every relevant program is your responsibility and a best practice that protects both your system and your users.
Treat every authorization omission as a potential risk — and write secure ABAP code that’s audit-ready and resilient.