A high-severity vulnerability has been identified in multiple Google products, allowing an attacker to read sensitive files on an affected server. By submitting a specially crafted configuration file, an attacker can trick the system into disclosing the contents of arbitrary files, potentially exposing confidential data, user credentials, and system configuration details. This could lead to a significant data breach and further system compromise.

This vulnerability is a combination of two weaknesses: External Control of File Name or Path (CWE-73) and Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (CWE-918). An attacker with permissions to configure the Google Gemini connector can submit a specially crafted JSON payload containing a malicious file path (e.g., file:///etc/passwd). The application fails to properly validate this input and, due to the SSRF flaw, processes the local file path instead of an expected external resource. As a result, the application reads the contents of the specified file from the server's filesystem and may return it to the attacker, leading to arbitrary file disclosure.

This vulnerability is rated as High severity with a CVSS score of 8.6. Successful exploitation could lead to a significant data breach, allowing attackers to access sensitive information such as application source code, configuration files containing passwords or API keys, and private user data. The disclosure of such information could result in severe reputational damage, regulatory fines for non-compliance with data protection standards, financial loss, and could provide attackers with the necessary information to launch further attacks against the organization's infrastructure.

Immediate Action: Identify all systems running the affected Google products and apply the vendor-supplied security updates immediately to patch the vulnerability. Prioritize patching on internet-facing systems and those that process sensitive data.

Proactive Monitoring: Review application and server logs for any attempts to configure the Google Gemini connector with unusual or malicious JSON payloads. Specifically, look for payloads containing local file paths (e.g., /etc/, C:\) or file URI schemes (file://). Monitor for unexpected outbound network connections from the affected servers, which could indicate SSRF activity.

Compensating Controls: If immediate patching is not feasible, implement the following controls to mitigate risk:

• Access Control: Strictly limit permissions to configure the Google Gemini connector to a minimum number of trusted administrators.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy WAF rules to inspect and block incoming JSON payloads that contain path traversal characters (../) or suspicious URI schemes.
• Egress Filtering: Implement strict network egress filtering to prevent the server from making unauthorized connections to internal or external resources.

Public Exploit Available: false

Due to the high severity (CVSS 8.6) of this vulnerability, we recommend organizations immediately identify all affected Google products within their environment and apply the vendor-supplied security patches without delay. Although this vulnerability is not currently listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, its potential for sensitive data disclosure presents a significant risk. Proactive patching and monitoring are critical to prevent potential exploitation and safeguard confidential information.