In 1979 (yes— I realize many of you weren’t even born), Swedish super group ABBA released the song “Does Your Mother Know?”. Like most ABBA songs, the hooks are catchy.

Take it easy (take it easy)
Better slow down, girl
That’s no way to go
Does your mother know?

In 2026, amid our fixation on creepy billionaires—plus their private jets and private islands—you probably won’t find anyone releasing a song about underage girls sneaking into nightclubs. The real question is: “Has our Director of Information Security been informed that we’re still running SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2?” Not even Björn or Benny could turn that mouthful of a song title into something catchy—never mind building a whole Broadway musical around it. But it remains an important question.

SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2— originally released in March 2016— has been out of Mainstream Maintenance (patch support) since 12/31/2022. Even Priority One Support ended over a year ago on 12/31/2024. Over the course of its lifetime, BI 4.2 was flagged with 38 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE). Regardless of which patch level of BI 4.2 your organization is using, it’s likely to be affected by at least one of these.

Coupled with four new CVE identified in SAP’s February 2026 Security Patch Day newsletter, organizations should give their immediate attention to applying SAP BI 4.3 SP4 patch 17, SAP BI 4.3 SP5 patch 4, or BI 2025 SP0 patch 8. There is never ROI on a security breach.

What About Microsoft Windows?

SAP BusinessObjects customers still using BI 4.2 should also pay attention to the version of Microsoft Windows it’s running on. Microsoft Windows Server 2016 was brand new when BI 4.2 was released. While modern at the time, Microsoft Windows Server 2016 reached the end of mainstream maintenance in January 2022 and will run out of extended maintenance (security patches) on January 12, 2027- effectively the end of this year.

What About Microsoft SQL Server

Likewise, Microsoft SQL Server 2016 will run out of extended support for SP3 in just a few months – July 2026.

For organizations running BI 4.2 on Windows Server 2016 and SQL Server 2016, the solution is clear— it is time to build a new BI 4.3 or BI 2025 environment on a solid foundation of Windows Server 2025. For organizations running BI 4.2 on later editions of Windows, a simple in-place upgrade to BI 4.3 may be enough effort to eliminate known security risks while you plan your BI 2025 upgrade.

Free Whitepaper

InfoSol has published a free whitepaper describing the security vulnerabilities within BI 4.2 and the risks of not addressing them. We’d love to share it with your team— simply use our contact form to request your copy today and start building a business case for patching. Or contact us to schedule a free patching assessment or upgrade consultation—and ensure your BI environment stays protected, optimized, and compliant.

Got a catchy ABBA tune stuck in your head? Or the angry voice of your Director of Information Security? We can help with both!