high CVSS 7.1

CVE-2024-45060·PHP vulnerability

PHPSpreadsheet is a pure PHP library for reading and writing spreadsheet files. One of the sample scripts in PhpSpreadsheet is susceptible to a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability due to improper handling of input where a number is expected leading to formula injection. The code in in `45_Quadratic_equation_solver.php` concatenates the user supplied parameters directly into spreadsheet formulas. This allows an attacker to take control over the formula and output unsanitized data into the page, resulting in JavaScript execution. This issue has been addressed in release versions 1.29.2, 2.1.1, and 2.3.0. All users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Severity
high
Software
PHP
Fixed in
2.3.0
Published
2024-10-07

Affected versions

From: 2.2.0

Until: 2.3.0

Fixed in: 2.3.0

How to fix this CVE

Update PHP and PHPSpreadsheet to the latest patched versions immediately. If you are using PHPSpreadsheet 2.2.0 or later, upgrade to version 2.3.0 or higher to eliminate formula injection vulnerabilities in the sample scripts. Review any custom implementations that concatenate user input into spreadsheet formulas and apply strict input validation.

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST/GET requests to sample/Basic/45_Quadratic_equation_solver.php with parameters containing formula operators (=, +, -, *, /) followed by function calls or cell references; or requests with URL-encoded payloads like %3D%28 in query strings targeting the equation solver parameters

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Block or restrict access to /samples/ directories in production environments. Implement input validation rules that reject parameters containing spreadsheet formula operators (=, +, -, @) when processed by PHPSpreadsheet functions. Monitor POST requests to equation solver endpoints for encoded formula syntax.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check the installed PHP version with: php -v
  2. Step 2: Verify PHPSpreadsheet version in vendor directory: grep -r '"version"' vendor/phpoffice/phpspreadsheet/composer.json | head -1
  3. Step 3: Search web server access logs for requests to '45_Quadratic_equation_solver.php' or similar sample scripts: grep -i 'quadratic\|45_' /var/log/apache2/access.log /var/log/nginx/access.log 2>/dev/null
  4. Step 4: Confirm the patch by checking PHPSpreadsheet version again and verify it is 2.3.0 or later

FAQ

What is CVE-2024-45060?

CVE-2024-45060 is a formula injection vulnerability in PHPSpreadsheet's sample quadratic equation solver script that allows attackers to inject arbitrary formulas into spreadsheets, leading to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks when the spreadsheet is opened in a browser or processed by vulnerable applications.

Is CVE-2024-45060 being actively exploited?

No, there are no known active exploits or confirmed exploitation attempts recorded in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog at this time.

What versions of PHPSpreadsheet are affected by CVE-2024-45060?

PHPSpreadsheet versions 2.2.0 through 2.3.0 are affected. The vulnerability has been patched in version 2.3.0 and later releases.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-45060?

Run: composer show phpoffice/phpspreadsheet | grep Version, or check if the sample file exists at vendor/phpoffice/phpspreadsheet/samples/Basic/45_Quadratic_equation_solver.php. If the version is between 2.2.0 and 2.2.x, your installation is vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-45060?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If PHP or PHPSpreadsheet is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2024-45060 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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