CVE-2025-27696 is an Improper Authorization vulnerability (CWE-285) affecting Apache Superset, an open-source data visualization and business intelligence platform maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 4.1.1 and allows authenticated users with only read permissions to take ownership of dashboards, charts, or datasets. This means that users who should only have viewing rights can escalate their privileges to effectively control these resources, potentially modifying, deleting, or sharing sensitive visualizations and data assets without proper authorization. The flaw arises from insufficient enforcement of authorization checks within the application’s access control mechanisms. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network, as Apache Superset is typically accessed via web interfaces. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no user interaction, and limited impact on confidentiality and integrity but a low impact on availability. The issue was publicly disclosed on May 13, 2025, and fixed in Apache Superset version 4.1.2 and later. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. This vulnerability could allow unauthorized data manipulation and compromise the integrity of business intelligence outputs, leading to erroneous decision-making or data leakage if dashboards or datasets contain sensitive information.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for enterprises relying on Apache Superset for critical business intelligence and data analytics. Unauthorized ownership takeover of dashboards or datasets can lead to data integrity issues, unauthorized data exposure, and potential compliance violations under regulations such as GDPR if personal or sensitive data is involved. The ability for a low-privileged user to escalate control undermines trust in the data platform and can disrupt business operations that depend on accurate and secure data visualization. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government agencies in Europe that use Superset for decision support are particularly at risk. Furthermore, the vulnerability could be leveraged for insider threat scenarios or lateral movement within networks, increasing the risk of broader compromise. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact availability, the loss of data integrity and confidentiality can have downstream effects on operational continuity and regulatory compliance.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading Apache Superset installations to version 4.1.2 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. Beyond upgrading, organizations should audit user permissions and roles within Superset to ensure the principle of least privilege is enforced, limiting read permissions to only those users who absolutely require them. Implementing strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), can reduce the risk of unauthorized access by compromised credentials. Monitoring and logging access to dashboards and datasets should be enhanced to detect unusual ownership changes or privilege escalations. Network segmentation and restricting access to Superset instances to trusted networks or VPNs can reduce exposure. Additionally, organizations should review and harden their overall identity and access management (IAM) policies related to data analytics platforms. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on authorization controls in Superset deployments can help identify residual risks. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans that include scenarios involving unauthorized data manipulation within BI tools.