Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File

Part-DB is an open source inventory management system for electronic components. Prior to version 2.13.2, Part-DB contains a spreadsheet formula injection vulnerability in the part import/export workflow. An authenticated user with permission to import parts can import a CSV file containing formula-prefixed values, such as =1+1, into user-controlled part fields. When the affected part is later exported as an XLSX spreadsheet, Part-DB writes the attacker-controlled value using PhpSpreadsheet's setCellValue() method without neutralising spreadsheet formula characters. As a result, the exported XLSX file contains an executable spreadsheet formula cell rather than a plain text value. If another user exports and opens the spreadsheet, the formula may be evaluated by their spreadsheet software. This issue has been patched in version 2.13.2.Show less

EspoCRM is an open source customer relationship management application. Prior to 9.3.9, application/Espo/Tools/Export/Format/Csv/Processor.php, application/Espo/Tools/Export/Format/Xlsx/OpenSpoutProcessor.php, and application/Espo/Tools/Export/Format/Xlsx/PhpSpreadsheetProcessor.php inspect only the first byte in sanitizeCellValue(). An authenticated low-privileged user can store a free-text value whose formula trigger is preceded by whitespace or a control character, causing CSV or XLSX export to omit the leading single-quote formula-neutralization prefix. When a privileged user opens the exported file and accepts applicable spreadsheet security prompts, spreadsheet software can ignore the whitespace or control-character prefix and evaluate the cell as a formula, permitting outbound data disclosure and, on legacy configurations with DDE enabled, command execution. This issue is fixed in version 9.3.9.Show less

Thelia before 3.1.2 and 3.2.x before 3.2.1 contains a CSV formula injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated visitors to inject spreadsheet formulas by supplying crafted registration, checkout or newsletter fields. Attackers can submit names, addresses or phone values starting with =, +, - or @ that CSVSerializer exports verbatim, executing formulas in the administrator's spreadsheet application.Show less

User-controlled values are not sufficiently neutralized when included in CSV exports. Values originating from user input, including data submitted by authenticated users or received through external communication channels such as email, may be stored in fields that are later included in CSV exports. An attacker can therefore inject values beginning with spreadsheet formula characters such as =, +, -, or @. An attacker does not necessarily require an authenticated account if the affected field can be populated through an external input channel such as incoming email. When an affected CSV file is opened in spreadsheet software, the application may interpret these values as formulas instead of plain text. Depending on the spreadsheet application and its security configuration, a malicious formula may cause unintended actions, disclose information, or invoke external functionality. Exploitation may require the user opening the exported CSV file to confirm one or more security warning dialogs. The vulnerability does not execute code on the OTRS server; any additional impact occurs in the spreadsheet application used to process the exported file. This issue affects OTRS: * 7.0.X * 8.0.X * 2023.X * 2024.X * 2025.X * 2026.X before 2026.7.X Please note that ((OTRS)) Community Edition 6.x and before are vulnerable. Products based on the ((OTRS)) Community Edition also very likely to be affectedShow less

OpenPanel through 2.3.0 contains a CSV formula injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to embed spreadsheet formulas by supplying crafted profile IDs to the /track endpoint. Attackers can send tracking events with profile IDs like =HYPERLINK(...) matching a cohort, so exported cohort CSVs execute formulas that exfiltrate adjacent cell data.Show less

OpenClaw versions before 2026.8.1 fail to neutralize spreadsheet formula characters in participant display names within attendance CSV exports. Attackers can inject formula-like cells that execute with spreadsheet user permissions when the export is opened in formula-enabled applications.Show less

OpenClaw (npm package `openclaw`) before 2026.8.1 does not neutralize leading characters that spreadsheet applications interpret as formulas when the Control UI exports session data to CSV. Although session labels were quoted as CSV text, a lower-trust participant who can influence a session label or the first user message can place a formula-like cell in the Usage export; if an operator opens that export in a spreadsheet application with formula evaluation enabled, the cell may be evaluated with the permissions of the spreadsheet user. OpenClaw itself does not evaluate the formula, and practical impact depends on the spreadsheet application's security settings. The issue is fixed in 2026.8.1.Show less

WWBN AVideo through commit c3edcc274c389816d434acadac07ee78eaf330c1 contains a CSV formula injection vulnerability in the myComments.download.php endpoint that fails to sanitize spreadsheet formula prefixes in comment text. Authenticated users can inject formulas starting with =, +, -, or @ characters that execute when administrators or video owners open the exported CSV file in spreadsheet applications.Show less

Snipe-IT is an IT asset management application. In Snipe-IT master-branch builds after 8.6.3 (the code was never included in a tagged release), SettingsController::downloadLocationScopingReport streams the FMCS location-scoping mismatch report (GET /admin/settings/location-scoping-report.csv) through a bare fputcsv() call without applying League\Csv\EscapeFormula, unlike the other CSV exports which honor config('app.escape_formulas'). An authenticated user with ordinary create/edit rights can place a spreadsheet formula in free-text fields that appear in the report (item name, asset tag, serial, item or location company name, location name) and arrange for the record to be FMCS-mismatched so it is included in the export. When a superuser downloads the report and opens it in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets with formula evaluation enabled and external-content warnings dismissed or disabled, cells beginning with =, +, -, @, tab, or CR are executed in the victim's spreadsheet context, enabling data exfiltration (e.g., HYPERLINK/WEBSERVICE) or, on Windows Excel, legacy DDE command execution. This issue is fixed in version 8.7.0.Show less

Snipe-IT through 8.6.3 does not neutralize formula elements in the "unaccepted assets" acceptance report CSV export. ReportsController::postAssetAcceptanceReport builds the CSV by hand (stripping commas and joining rows manually) and, unlike the six sibling exports in the same controller, never applies League\Csv\EscapeFormula or honors the config('app.escape_formulas') setting. An authenticated low-privilege user with ordinary create/edit rights on any record whose free-text fields appear in the report (asset name/tag, company name, category, model, or assignee display name) can set such a field to a value beginning with =, +, -, @, tab, or CR. When a user with reports.view privileges requests the export (POST /reports/unaccepted_assets) for a pending checkout acceptance referencing the poisoned record and opens the resulting CSV in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets, the injected content is evaluated as a formula in the downloader's spreadsheet context, enabling data exfiltration (e.g., HYPERLINK/WEBSERVICE) or, on legacy Windows Excel configurations, DDE command execution. Fixed in 8.7.0.Show less

Dell SCG 5.0 Appliance versions prior to 5.36.00.16 and Dell SCG 5.0 Application versions prior to 5.36.00.00, contains an Improper Sanitization of Custom Special Characters vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker with remote access could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to script injection.Show less

wger before 2.6 fails to sanitize first_name and last_name fields in the gym member TSV export endpoint, allowing any gym member to inject spreadsheet formulas. Attackers can inject formulas like =HYPERLINK to exfiltrate admin data or execute code when admins open the exported file in Excel or LibreOffice Calc.Show less

A CSV injection vulnerability exists in SYS600. Injected malicious formulas can add or modify data to the spreadsheet, insert links, exfiltrate data, and in some cases, depending on how the user has their environment configured, execute malicious code on the user’s machine. To exploit this issue attackers would need a way to create arbitrary log messages. This could be achieved through normal functionality via SCIL scripts, a log injection vulnerability, or via the SYS600 broker. This vulnerability affects all Windows users regardless of their privilege level who can run the Notify service and export the log.Show less

The MongoSQL Transition Readiness Tool writes database and collection names into its generated CSV reports without neutralizing leading characters that spreadsheet applications treat as formulas. A user with write privileges on the cluster can choose a namespace name that is later evaluated as a formula when an operator opens the generated report in a spreadsheet application, which may result in unintended disclosure of report contents or execution of external content on the operator's workstation. Generating a report for the affected namespace and opening it in a spreadsheet application is required.Show less

Dool in versions up to 1.3.8 is vulnerable to a CSV injection vulnerability when exporting data to a CSV file, as it fails to sanitize cell content beginning with special formula characters like =, +, -, or @. A local attacker can exploit this by running a process with a crafted name starting with =, which injects malicious formulas into the CSV output that execute when a victim opens the file in a spreadsheet application.  The issue was addressed by pull request #117Show less

exceljs through 4.4.0 fails to neutralize leading equals, plus, minus, or at signs in cell values written to CSV output. Attackers who can influence exported cell values can inject formulas that execute when the CSV file is opened in a spreadsheet application, potentially exfiltrating data or performing other malicious actions.Show less

CSV export functionality in Brainstorm Force SureForms version, <= 2.12.1, fails to neutralize spreadsheet formula characters in user-controlled form field names before generating CSV exports, which allows a remote attacker to execute spreadsheet formulas on an administrator's workstation when the exported CSV file is opened in a vulnerable spreadsheet application.Show less

When Microsoft Excel imports a CSV file, it executes cells beginning with certain characters as formulas, giving such CSV files arbitrary execution.  Velociraptor fails to sanitize such cells when exporting to CSV from various places such as the GUI, offline collector or data exports. It is not clear if the vulnerability is actually in Microsoft Excel treating a CSV data file as executable content, or if Velociraptor should be sanitizing the data to prevent Excel from executing it. However, since this is such a common use case for Velociraptor we decided to highlight it in an advisory.Show less

TypeBot is a chatbot builder tool. Version 3.16.1 has a CSV injection vulnerability in the result export functionality. The application does not sanitize or escape user-supplied input when generating CSV files. An attacker can inject spreadsheet formulas into input fields, which are later executed when an administrator opens the exported CSV in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc. Version 3.17.0 patches the issue.Show less

Shlink versions 5.0.0 through 5.1.5 contain a CSV formula injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to plant spreadsheet formulas into exported visit data by supplying malicious values in User-Agent, Referer, or request path headers beginning with formula-triggering characters such as =, +, -, or @. Attackers can craft a single unauthenticated request against any short URL to embed DDE or WEBSERVICE formula payloads into CSV cells, which are then executed on an administrator's client machine when the exported CSV file is opened in a spreadsheet application that evaluates formulas.Show less