📄 Description (English)
Improper input validation in Power BI allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2026-21229 is a high-severity input validation vulnerability in Microsoft Power BI Report Server that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely. With a CVSS score of 8.0 and no public exploit currently available, this poses significant risk to organizations using Power BI for business intelligence and reporting. Immediate patching is critical to prevent potential data exfiltration and system compromise.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 26, 2026 18:17
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Saudi organizations heavily reliant on Power BI for business intelligence and reporting face significant risk, particularly in: Banking sector (SAMA-regulated institutions using Power BI for financial reporting and analytics), Government agencies (NCA oversight bodies, ministries using BI for decision-making), Energy sector (ARAMCO and downstream companies for operational analytics), Telecommunications (STC, Mobily for network and customer analytics), and Healthcare (MOH facilities for patient data analytics). The vulnerability's requirement for authenticated access means insider threats and compromised credentials pose the greatest risk. Organizations managing sensitive financial, operational, or personal data through Power BI Report Server are most vulnerable.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Energy and Utilities
Telecommunications
Healthcare
Insurance
Retail and E-commerce
Manufacturing
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
1. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
- Identify all Power BI Report Server instances in your environment
- Review access logs for suspicious authenticated activity in the past 30 days
- Restrict network access to Power BI Report Server to authorized users only
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all Power BI Report Server accounts
2. PATCHING GUIDANCE:
- Apply Microsoft's security patch for Power BI Report Server immediately
- Test patches in non-production environments first
- Schedule patching during maintenance windows with minimal business impact
- Verify patch installation and restart services as required
3. COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if patching delayed):
- Implement network segmentation to isolate Power BI Report Server
- Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect malicious input patterns
- Enable detailed audit logging for all Power BI Report Server activities
- Monitor for CWE-20 exploitation patterns (unusual input sequences, command injection attempts)
4. DETECTION RULES:
- Monitor for HTTP requests with suspicious payloads to Power BI Report Server endpoints
- Alert on failed authentication attempts followed by successful logins from same source
- Track execution of unexpected processes spawned by Power BI services
- Monitor file system changes in Power BI installation directories
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
1. الإجراءات الفورية:
- تحديد جميع مثيلات خادم تقارير Power BI في بيئتك
- مراجعة سجلات الوصول للنشاط المريب المصرح به في آخر 30 يوماً
- تقييد الوصول إلى الشبكة لخادم تقارير Power BI للمستخدمين المصرح لهم فقط
- تنفيذ المصادقة متعددة العوامل (MFA) لجميع حسابات خادم تقارير Power BI
2. إرشادات التصحيح:
- تطبيق تصحيح الأمان من Microsoft لخادم تقارير Power BI فوراً
- اختبار التصحيحات في بيئات غير الإنتاج أولاً
- جدولة التصحيح خلال نوافذ الصيانة بأقل تأثير على العمل
- التحقق من تثبيت التصحيح وإعادة تشغيل الخدمات حسب الحاجة
3. الضوابط البديلة (إذا تأخر التصحيح):
- تنفيذ تقسيم الشبكة لعزل خادم تقارير Power BI
- نشر قواعد جدار حماية تطبيقات الويب (WAF) للكشف عن أنماط المدخلات الضارة
- تفعيل تسجيل التدقيق التفصيلي لجميع أنشطة خادم تقارير Power BI
- المراقبة لأنماط استغلال CWE-20 (تسلسلات مدخلات غير عادية، محاولات حقن الأوامر)
4. قواعد الكشف:
- مراقبة طلبات HTTP بحمولات مريبة لنقاط نهاية خادم تقارير Power BI
- تنبيهات محاولات المصادقة الفاشلة متبوعة بعمليات دخول ناجحة من نفس المصدر
- تتبع تنفيذ العمليات غير المتوقعة التي تم إطلاقها بواسطة خدمات Power BI
- مراقبة التغييرات في نظام الملفات في أدلة تثبيت Power BI
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies and procedures
A.6.1.1 - Access control policy
A.6.2.1 - User registration and de-registration
A.8.2.1 - Classification of information
A.12.2.1 - Restrictions on software installation
A.12.4.1 - Event logging
A.12.4.3 - Administrator and operator logs
A.13.1.1 - Network security perimeter
A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy
🔵 SAMA CSF
Governance (GV) - GV-RO-01: Risk oversight and management
Governance (GV) - GV-RM-01: Risk management program
Protect (PR) - PR-AC-01: Access control
Protect (PR) - PR-AC-02: Privileged access management
Protect (PR) - PR-DS-01: Data security
Detect (DE) - DE-AE-01: Audit and event logging
Respond (RS) - RS-RP-01: Response planning
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
5.1 - Policies for information security
5.3 - Segregation of duties
6.1 - Screening
6.2 - Terms and conditions of employment
7.1 - Physical and environmental security
8.1 - User endpoint devices
8.2 - Privileged access rights
8.3 - Information access restriction
8.22 - Monitoring
8.23 - Web filtering
8.28 - Secure coding
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 1 - Install and maintain a firewall configuration
Requirement 2 - Do not use vendor-supplied defaults
Requirement 6 - Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
Requirement 7 - Restrict access to data by business need to know
Requirement 8 - Identify and authenticate access to system components
Requirement 10 - Track and monitor all access to network resources
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
microsoft:power_bi_report_server