CVE-2025-29972 is a critical Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability identified in the Microsoft Azure Storage Resource Provider (SRP). SSRF vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can abuse a server to send crafted requests to unintended locations, potentially accessing internal systems or services that are otherwise inaccessible externally. In this case, the vulnerability allows an authorized attacker—meaning the attacker must have some level of privileges within the Azure environment—to perform network spoofing via the SRP component. The Azure Storage Resource Provider is a key service responsible for managing storage accounts and related resources in Azure, making it a high-value target. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.9 (critical) reflects the vulnerability's high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no user interaction required. The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that exploitation can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The vulnerability can lead to complete compromise of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the affected Azure environment. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the critical severity and the nature of the vulnerability suggest that exploitation could allow attackers to pivot within cloud environments, access internal metadata services, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The lack of specific affected versions implies that the vulnerability may impact multiple or all current versions of the Azure SRP until patched. Given the central role of Azure in cloud infrastructure, this SSRF vulnerability represents a significant risk for organizations relying on Azure Storage services.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a severe risk due to the widespread adoption of Microsoft Azure cloud services across Europe. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data stored in Azure Storage accounts, disruption of cloud-hosted applications, and potential lateral movement within cloud environments. This could result in data breaches violating GDPR regulations, leading to substantial legal and financial penalties. Additionally, the integrity and availability of critical business services hosted on Azure could be compromised, affecting operational continuity. The ability to spoof network requests may allow attackers to bypass network segmentation and access internal services, increasing the attack surface. Given Europe's strong regulatory environment and the reliance on cloud infrastructure for digital transformation, the impact of this SSRF vulnerability could be extensive, affecting sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure.

European organizations should immediately review their Azure Storage Resource Provider configurations and monitor for unusual network activity indicative of SSRF exploitation attempts. Since no patch links are currently provided, organizations should apply any forthcoming security updates from Microsoft promptly. In the interim, implement strict access controls and least privilege principles to limit the number of users with authorization to interact with the Azure SRP. Employ network segmentation and Azure-native security features such as Private Link and service endpoints to restrict SRP access to trusted networks. Enable Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel to detect anomalous behavior related to SSRF attempts. Conduct thorough audits of Azure role assignments and remove unnecessary permissions. Additionally, implement web application firewalls (WAF) and intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor and block suspicious outbound requests originating from Azure services. Regularly review and update incident response plans to include cloud-specific SSRF scenarios. Finally, educate cloud administrators about SSRF risks and encourage vigilance in monitoring cloud resource interactions.