Overview
This blog post delves into the details of a critical vulnerability with the identifier CVE-2025-52452. This vulnerability exposes a serious flaw in the Salesforce Tableau Server, affecting both Windows and Linux environments. Specifically, it lies within the ‘tabdoc api – duplicate-data-source’ modules, allowing for an Absolute Path Traversal. The vulnerability impacts versions of Tableau Server before 2025.1.3, 2024.2.12, and 2023.3.19. Considering the widespread use of Salesforce Tableau Server across various sectors, this vulnerability poses a significant risk and needs immediate attention.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52452
Severity: Critical (8.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
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, before 2024.2.12, before 2023.3.19
Salesforce Tableau Server on Linux | Before 2025.1.3, before 2024.2.12, before 2023.3.19
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from an improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory (‘Path Traversal’) in the Salesforce Tableau Server. This is due to inadequate input validation in the ‘tabdoc api – duplicate-data-source’ modules. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to the server, tricking it into accessing files or directories that are outside the intended restricted directory. This could potentially lead to unauthorized read access to sensitive data or even system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual HTTP request to illustrate how the vulnerability might be exploited. This request includes a malicious payload in the form of a crafted path that accesses a sensitive file outside the restricted directory.
GET /tabdocapi/duplicate-data-source?path=../../../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.comTo mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor patch promptly. Alternatively, temporary mitigation can be achieved by using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and prevent path traversal attempts.