CVE-2022-1539
📋 TL;DR
The Exports and Reports WordPress plugin before version 0.9.2 contains a CSV injection vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious formulas or hyperlinks into exported CSV files. When opened in Microsoft Excel, these can execute commands via DDE functions or leak data through malicious links. This affects WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the plugin.
💻 Affected Systems
- Exports and Reports WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Exports And Reports by Exports And Reports Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution on user systems opening the CSV file in Excel, leading to full system compromise of those workstations and potential lateral movement.
Likely Case
Data exfiltration through malicious hyperlinks or formula injection that steals information from users opening the CSV files.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if CSV files are opened in applications that don't execute formulas or if proper input validation is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening CSV file in Excel) and typically requires some level of access to submit data for export. WPScan provides technical details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.9.2
Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/50f70927-9677-4ba4-a388-0a41ed356523
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Exports and Reports' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 0.9.2+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable CSV Export Functionality
allTemporarily disable CSV export features in the plugin settings or restrict access to export functionality.
Input Sanitization Filter
allImplement custom input validation for all data that could be exported via CSV, particularly sanitizing formulas starting with =, +, -, @.
Add WordPress filter: add_filter('wp_exports_reports_csv_data', 'sanitize_csv_data');
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or uninstall the Exports and Reports plugin entirely
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems that process CSV exports and restrict Excel DDE execution via Group Policy
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins → Exports and Reports version. If version is below 0.9.2, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name='exports-and-reports' --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 0.9.2 or higher. Test CSV export functionality with malicious input (e.g., =cmd|'/c calc'!A0) to ensure it's sanitized.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual CSV export requests, particularly with formula-like payloads in parameters
- Multiple failed export attempts with suspicious parameters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to export endpoints with formula payloads in POST data
- CSV files containing DDE formulas or suspicious hyperlinks being downloaded
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("export" OR "csv") AND ("=" OR "+" OR "-" OR "@" OR "DDE")