Overview
The CVE-2025-52446 is a critical vulnerability found in Salesforce Tableau Server on both Windows and Linux platforms. This security flaw is categorized as an “Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key” vulnerability, which allows attackers to manipulate the interface and gain unauthorized data access to the production database cluster. This flaw can be exploited by cyber attackers to potentially compromise the system or leak sensitive data, hence posing a significant threat to organizations leveraging the Tableau Server for their data visualization needs.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52446
Severity: High (8.0 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Salesforce Tableau Server on Windows | Before 2025.1.3
Salesforce Tableau Server on Linux | Before 2024.2.12, Before 2023.3.19
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by taking advantage of the vulnerably configured tab-doc API modules in the Tableau Server. An attacker can manipulate the user-controlled key to bypass the authorization process, effectively gaining unlawful access to the production database cluster. From here, the attacker can manipulate or extract sensitive data, potentially leading to a system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a hypothetical example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a malicious HTTP request:
POST /tab-doc/api/modules HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-tableau.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{"user-controlled-key": "malicious_payload"}In the above example, the attacker sends a POST request to the vulnerable endpoint with a malicious payload in the “user-controlled-key” parameter. If successful, the attacker would bypass the authorization process and gain access to the production database cluster.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users of the affected Tableau Server versions are advised to promptly apply the vendor-supplied patch. In cases where immediate patching is not possible, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation measure to detect and block exploit attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are also recommended to ensure the ongoing security of the system.