CVE-2025-12397 is a SQL injection vulnerability classified under CWE-89, discovered in Google Cloud Looker Studio, a widely used data visualization and reporting tool integrated with BigQuery as a data source. The flaw allows a user with report view access to inject malicious SQL code that executes with the report owner's permissions, thereby bypassing intended access controls. This means an attacker could potentially read, modify, or delete sensitive data within BigQuery datasets linked to the report. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands, enabling injection attacks. The attack vector is network-based with low complexity, requiring only report view privileges and no user interaction, which increases the risk profile. The vulnerability was patched on July 21, 2025, and no customer action is required, indicating that Google has deployed a fix likely through a backend update. There are no known exploits in the wild, reducing immediate risk but vigilance is necessary. The CVSS 4.0 score of 7.6 reflects high severity due to the potential for high confidentiality and integrity impact, though availability impact is low. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to the patch, with no specific versioning details provided. The issue is significant because Looker Studio is commonly used in enterprise environments for business intelligence, and BigQuery is a critical data warehouse service, making this a high-impact vulnerability if exploited.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive business data stored in BigQuery and visualized through Looker Studio. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or data leakage, potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. Organizations relying on Looker Studio for critical reporting and decision-making could face operational disruptions and reputational damage. The ability for a low-privilege user to escalate access through SQL injection increases insider threat risks and the potential for external attackers to leverage compromised accounts. Given the integration of Looker Studio with Google Cloud services, exploitation could also impact interconnected cloud resources. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk of future attacks, especially as threat actors often reverse-engineer patches to develop exploits. The impact is heightened in sectors with sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies prevalent in Europe.

1. Ensure all Looker Studio instances are updated to the patched version released on July 21, 2025, by verifying the deployment status with Google Cloud support or through the Google Cloud Console. 2. Audit and restrict report view permissions rigorously, limiting access to trusted users only, and implement the principle of least privilege. 3. Monitor BigQuery query logs and Looker Studio activity for unusual or unexpected SQL queries that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Employ anomaly detection tools to flag suspicious data access patterns or injection attempts. 5. Educate users about the risks of sharing report access and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, to reduce account compromise risks. 6. Review and enforce network security controls to limit exposure of Looker Studio and BigQuery interfaces. 7. Coordinate with Google Cloud support to confirm that all backend patches and mitigations are fully applied. 8. Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing potential SQL injection exploitation scenarios in cloud analytics environments.