What is SAP_NEW profile in SAP?

SAP_NEW is a SAP standard Profile which is usually assigned to system users temporarily during an upgrade to ensure that the activities and operations of SAP users are not hindered during the Upgrade. It contains all the necessary objects and transactions for the users to continue their work during the upgrade. It should be withdrawn once all upgrade activities is completed, and replaced with the now modified roles as it has extensive authorizations. The SAP_NEW profile grants unrestricted access to all existing functions for which additional authorization checks have been introduced. Users can therefore continue to work uninterrupted with functions not previously subject to authorization checks. This ensures upwards compatibility.

Usage during an upgrade: For functions that were not subject to any authorization checks previously, all users were authorized irrespective of their user profiles. If all users have the profile SAP_NEW in their master record, they still have the authorization for the previously unprotected functions after an upgrade. The super user or operator can then decide after the upgrade who should keep the authorizations concerned. These users are assigned the new authorizations in their standard profile. Afterwards the operator or administrator will remove the individual profiles SAP_NEW_ from the collective profile SAP_NEW.
For each release SAP_NEW contains a single profile SAP_NEW_.