CVE-2025-12409 is a SQL injection vulnerability classified under CWE-89 affecting Google Cloud Looker Studio, a widely used business intelligence and data visualization platform. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands when native functions are enabled in reports. An attacker can craft a malicious Looker Studio report embedding SQL injection payloads targeting BigQuery data sources. When a victim with legitimate access views this report, the injected SQL commands execute with the victim's BigQuery permissions, enabling unauthorized data access or exfiltration. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have the ability to create reports with native functions enabled and to lure victims into opening these reports, implying a need for some level of privilege and user interaction. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network attack vector, low attack complexity, partial privileges required, user interaction needed, and high impact on confidentiality and integrity. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed in November 2025 but patched earlier in July 2025 by Google Cloud, with no customer action needed post-patch. No known exploits in the wild have been reported. This vulnerability highlights risks in embedded SQL execution contexts within cloud BI tools and the importance of input sanitization and privilege separation.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-12409 can be significant due to the potential unauthorized access and exfiltration of sensitive data stored in BigQuery. Organizations relying on Looker Studio for critical analytics and reporting could face confidentiality breaches, undermining data privacy and regulatory compliance such as GDPR. The integrity of data and reports could also be compromised, leading to erroneous business decisions. Since the attack leverages victim permissions, insider threat scenarios or compromised accounts could exacerbate the risk. The requirement for user interaction and report access limits mass exploitation but targeted spear-phishing or social engineering campaigns could be effective. The disruption to business intelligence workflows and potential reputational damage are additional concerns. However, the availability impact is low as the vulnerability does not directly cause denial of service. Overall, the threat is high for organizations with extensive Google Cloud and Looker Studio deployments handling sensitive or regulated data.

1. Ensure that all Looker Studio instances are updated with the July 2025 security patch from Google Cloud to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Temporarily disable or restrict the use of native functions in Looker Studio reports until patches are applied. 3. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on report creation and sharing capabilities to prevent unauthorized or malicious report generation. 4. Educate users to be cautious when opening reports from untrusted sources to reduce the risk of social engineering exploitation. 5. Audit BigQuery permissions to enforce the principle of least privilege, minimizing the impact if a victim's credentials are abused. 6. Employ anomaly detection on BigQuery query logs to identify unusual or suspicious query patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 7. Integrate Looker Studio usage monitoring with SIEM solutions to detect and respond to potential abuse quickly. 8. Review and enhance input validation and sanitization policies for any custom report templates or embedded SQL code. 9. Coordinate with Google Cloud support for any additional recommended security best practices specific to Looker Studio and BigQuery integrations.