CVE-2025-52448
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAuthorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in Salesforce Tableau Server on Windows, Linux (validate-initial-sql api modules) allows Interface Manipulation (data access to the production database cluster). This issue affects Tableau Server: before 2025.1.3, before 2024.2.12, before 2023.3.19.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceAn authorization bypass vulnerability in the validate-initial-sql API modules of Salesforce Tableau Server allows attackers to manipulate user-controlled keys to access the production database cluster, enabling data exfiltration through interface manipulation.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 2023.3.19>= 2024.2, < 2024.2.12>= 2025.1, < 2025.1.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Tableau Server versionUse Tableau Server's built-in version reporting: check the Tableau Server Configuration utility, run 'tsm version' command line tool, or inspect the product version in the Server's About dialog. Compare the installed version number to the affected ranges: < 2023.3.19, >= 2024.2 and < 2024.2.12, or >= 2025.1 and < 2025.1.3.Affected if The installed version falls within any of the three affected ranges.
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Locate validate-initial-sql API moduleInspect the Tableau Server's API module directory structure. The validate-initial-sql API module is typically found within the Server's REST API or admin API components. Check for any API endpoint or module file named 'validate-initial-sql' or similar in the installation path.Affected if The validate-initial-sql API module is present in the installation.
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Verify API endpoint accessibilityTest network access to the Tableau Server's API endpoints. Attempt to reach the validate-initial-sql endpoint (typically under /api or /admin endpoints) using a web browser or HTTP client tool. Check if the endpoint responds without requiring full authentication or proper authorization validation.Affected if The validate-initial-sql API endpoint is accessible and responds without proper authorization enforcement.
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Review API access control configurationExamine the Tableau Server's authentication and authorization configuration files for the API modules. Look for settings controlling access to the validate-initial-sql functionality. Check if user-controlled keys or parameters can bypass normal authorization checks.Affected if The API access controls allow manipulation of user-controlled keys to bypass authorization for the validate-initial-sql module.
You are affected if your installed Tableau Server version is less than 2023.3.19, between 2024.2 and 2024.2.12, or between 2025.1 and 2025.1.3 AND the validate-initial-sql API module is accessible without proper authorization enforcement.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2023.3.192024.2.122025.1.3
Upgrade Tableau Server to version 2025.1.3, 2024.2.12, or 2023.3.19 (whichever version line is applicable) to remediate the authorization bypass in the validate-initial-sql API modules.
Tableau Server 2025.1.3 (or later 2025.x), 2024.2.12 (or later 2024.2.x), or 2023.3.19 (or later 2023.x)
- 1. Identify the current installed version of Tableau Server using the Tableau Server Manager (TSM) or server logs
- 2. Determine which upgrade path applies based on your current version (2023.x, 2024.2.x, or 2025.1.x)
- 3. Backup the Tableau Server repository database and all critical data
- 4. Download the appropriate fixed version from Salesforce/Tablerau (2025.1.3+, 2024.2.12+, or 2023.3.19+)
- 5. Run the Tableau Server installer/upgrader following standard upgrade procedures
- 6. After upgrade, verify the validate-initial-sql API modules are functioning correctly
- 7. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by testing that unauthorized access to production database cluster data is no longer possible
- 8. Review server logs to ensure no unauthorized access attempts occurred during or after upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-52448 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-52448 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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