CVE-2024-43612: Uncovering the Power BI Report Server Spoofing Vulnerability and Mitigating the Threat

In this post, we will take an in-depth look at a recent discovery of a serious vulnerability in the Power BI Report Server, dubbed as CVE-2024-43612. This spoofing vulnerability allows an attacker to craft malicious data-driven charts and reports to deliver false information and potentially compromise the integrity and confidentiality of an organization's data.

The CVE-2024-43612 vulnerability poses a grave risk to organizations relying on Microsoft Power BI for their business intelligence and reporting needs. This article will cover the technical details of the vulnerability, a sample code snippet to demonstrate the exploit, and provide references to original sources and mitigation techniques.

A Brief Overview of the Vulnerability

The CVE-2024-43612 vulnerability allows a malicious actor to create a specially crafted data-driven Power BI report that can present false data, manipulate charts, or potentially perform actions on behalf of a legitimate user. The flaw exists due to improper input validation, which can be exploited by an attacker to pass crafted data and scripts within the report structure.

The attacker can use this flaw to spoof the content of the report and trick the targeted user into making decisions based on false information, thereby compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the data. This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9, indicating a medium level of severity, but the potential impact on a targeted organization can be significant.

Code Snippet Demonstrating the Exploit

The following code snippet showcases a simple data-driven report containing crafted JavaScript code that exploits the CVE-2024-43612 vulnerability.

{
    "report": {
        "header": {
            "data_source": "Database", 
            "type": "Power BI Report"
        },
        "data": {
            "table": {
                "content": [
                    { "label": "January", "value": "{{1337+alert('Spoofed Data')}}"},
                    { "label": "February", "value": "800"},
                    { "label": "March", "value": "120"}
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

In the above example, the JavaScript code alert('Spoofed Data') is injected within the data value of the first data point in the report table. When this report is loaded by a user, the injected code will execute and display the spoofed data alert. If the payload also contained actions that may manipulate data or take actions on behalf of the user, the magnitude of the impact grows greater.

Original References

1. Microsoft's official security advisory for CVE-2024-43612: link

2. The CVE entry for CVE-2024-43612 in the National Vulnerability Database: link

3. Microsoft Power BI documentation: link

Mitigation Techniques

Organizations should immediately take steps to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. The following are some recommended steps that can help prevent exploitation:

1. Apply the latest security updates and patches provided by Microsoft for Power BI Report Server. Ensure that your organization's security and IT team is aware of this vulnerability and diligently monitors their environment for any signs of exploitation.

2. Review and sanitize any user-generated data-driven reports. Ensure that scripts and code within reports are not malicious in nature by validating the structure and content.

3. Implement strong input validation techniques to prevent potential exploitation of this vulnerability in custom-built Power BI reports. This includes checking for disallowed characters or attempts to inject scripts, and establishing proper input and output encoding practices.

4. Educate users on the importance of verifying the authenticity of reports and data before making critical decisions. Establish clear policies for handling and distributing Power BI reports within the organization to minimize the risk of manipulation.

Conclusion

The CVE-2024-43612 Power BI Report Server spoofing vulnerability is a critical issue that organizations relying on Power BI for their data-driven reporting need to address promptly. By understanding the technical details of the vulnerability, exploiting the sample code snippet provided, and adhering to the mitigation techniques outlined, organizations can safeguard their data and make informed decisions to secure their environment. Stay informed on the latest updates and advisories related to this vulnerability by referencing the provided original sources.

Timeline

Published on: 10/08/2024 18:15:29 UTC
Last modified on: 10/13/2024 01:02:08 UTC