PhpSpreadsheet HTML writer is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting via JavaScript hyperlinks
Summary
\PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Html does not sanitize "javascript:" URLs from hyperlink href attributes, resulting in a Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability.
PoC
Example target script:
<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
$reader = \PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\IOFactory::createReader("Xlsx");
$spreadsheet = $reader->load(__DIR__ . '/book.xlsx');
$writer = new \PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Html($spreadsheet);
print($writer->generateHTMLAll());Save this file in the same directory: book.xlsx
Open index.php in a web browser and click on both links. The first demonstrates the vulnerability in a regular hyperlink and the second in a HYPERLINK() formula.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer package | phpoffice/phpexcel | <= 1.8.2 | no fix |
| Composer package | phpoffice/phpspreadsheet | >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0, < 1.29.2, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.1 | 2.3.0, 1.29.2, 2.1.1 |
References
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/security/advisories/GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45292
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/commit/392dd08c5569b623060784e1333454d64df1f03d
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/commit/8b9b378ecdc603234a34aab3b293d2cdc8e9210e
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/commit/f0b70ed1086348904b27772b264e1605ba6c1d6d
- https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-79- Platform
- Composer
- Package
phpoffice/phpexcel, phpoffice/phpspreadsheet- Disclosed
- 07.10.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: phpoffice/phpexcel
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 23
- First → latest
- 11.2019 02.2025
- Without a fix
- 20
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 12
- Medium 10
- Low 1
Disclosures per year
- 2019: 2
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 10
- 2025: 9
- 2026: 0
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PhpSpreadsheet HTML writer is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting via JavaScript hyperlinks this entry
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