CVE-2023-53913
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-53913 is a CSV injection vulnerability in Rukovoditel 3.3.1 that allows authenticated users to inject malicious formulas into user profile fields. When administrators export customer data as CSV files, these formulas can execute arbitrary code on systems that automatically process CSV files with spreadsheet software. This affects all Rukovoditel 3.3.1 installations with authenticated user accounts.
💻 Affected Systems
- Rukovoditel
📦 What is this software?
Rukovoditel by Rukovoditel
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution on administrator's workstation when they open the exported CSV file in spreadsheet software like Excel or LibreOffice, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Data corruption, formula execution causing denial of service on administrator workstations, or information disclosure through formula-based attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if CSV files are opened in text editors or processed by applications that don't execute formulas, or if user input validation is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires authenticated user access. Public exploit code demonstrates injection via firstname field with payloads like =calc|a!z|. Attack is triggered when admin exports and opens CSV file.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.3.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.rukovoditel.net/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your Rukovoditel installation and database. 2. Download the latest version from the official website. 3. Replace the existing installation files with the updated version. 4. Clear browser cache and verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Sanitization
allAdd server-side validation to sanitize CSV formula characters in user input fields
Modify user profile handling code to strip or escape characters like =, +, -, @, and |
CSV Export Restrictions
allRestrict CSV export functionality to trusted administrators only
Implement additional authentication checks for export functions
Log all CSV export activities
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation on all user profile fields to block formula characters
- Train administrators to open CSV exports in plain text editors only, not spreadsheet software
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by creating a user account with firstname containing =calc|a!z|, have admin export users to CSV, and check if formula appears unescaped in the CSV file.Check Version:
Check Rukovoditel version in the application footer or admin panel, or examine the version.txt file in the installation directory.Verify Fix Applied:
After patching, repeat the test - formula characters should be properly escaped or removed in the exported CSV.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual user profile updates with special characters
- Frequent CSV export activities
- User accounts with formula-like patterns in names
Network Indicators:
- CSV file downloads from Rukovoditel export functionality
SIEM Query:
source="rukovoditel" AND (event="user_update" AND (firstname CONTAINS "=" OR firstname CONTAINS "+" OR firstname CONTAINS "@")) OR event="csv_export"