#VU96732 XML External Entity injection in PhpSpreadsheet - CVE-2024-45048

Vulnerability identifier: #VU96732

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 5.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2024-45048

CWE-ID: CWE-611

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
PhpSpreadsheet
Universal components / Libraries / Libraries used by multiple products

Vendor: PHPOffice

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to gain access to sensitive information.

The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied XML input. A remote attacker can pass a specially crafted XML code to the affected application and view contents of arbitrary files on the system or initiate requests to external systems.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may allow an attacker to view contents of arbitrary file on the server or perform network scanning of internal and external infrastructure.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

PhpSpreadsheet: 1.0.0 - 2.2.0

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External links
https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/security/advisories/GHSA-ghg6-32f9-2jp7
https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/commit/bea2d4b30f24bcc8a7712e208d1359e603b45dda

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.