# CVE-2024-48917: XXE in PHPSpreadsheet's XLSX reader > An attacker can bypass XML sanitization in PHPSpreadsheet to perform XML External Entity attacks, potentially reading sensitive files or executing code. - **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 18 Nov 2024 - **Updated:** 18 Nov 2024 - **Also known as:** GHSA-7cc9-j4mv-vcjp ## What is CVE-2024-48917? CVE-2024-48917 is a high-severity vulnerability in PHPOffice PhpSpreadsheet, published on 18 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description PhpSpreadsheet is a PHP library for reading and writing spreadsheet files. The `XmlScanner` class has a scan method which should prevent XXE attacks. However, in a bypass of the previously reported `CVE-2024-47873`, the regexes from the `findCharSet` method, which is used for determining the current encoding can be bypassed by using a payload in the encoding UTF-7, and adding at end of the file a comment with the value `encoding="UTF-8"` with `"`, which is matched by the first regex, so that `encoding='UTF-7'` with single quotes `'` in the XML header is not matched by the second regex. An attacker can bypass the sanitizer and achieve an XML external entity attack. Versions 1.9.4, 2.1.3, 2.3.2, and 3.4.0 fix the issue. Weakness: CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-48917? 10 open source packages ship an affected version, including phpoffice/phpspreadsheet and phpoffice/phpexcel. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | All versions | 1.29.4 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | All versions | 1.29.4 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 2.0.0 | 2.1.3 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 2.0.0 | 2.1.3 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 2.2.0 | 2.3.2 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 2.2.0 | 2.3.2 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 3.3.0 | 3.4.0 | | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet` | Packagist | From 3.3.0 | 3.4.0 | | `phpoffice/phpexcel` | Packagist | All versions to 1.8.2 | None | | `phpoffice/phpexcel` | Packagist | All versions to 1.8.2 | None | Products: Phpoffice Phpspreadsheet. ## How do I fix CVE-2024-48917? Upgrade phpoffice/phpspreadsheet to a fixed version for your release line: 1.29.4, 2.1.3, 2.3.2 or 3.4.0. ## Is CVE-2024-48917 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-48917 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in PHPOffice PhpSpreadsheet - [CVE-2026-34084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34084/): PhpSpreadsheet SSRF and RCE via PHP stream wrappers in IOFactory::load (critical 9.2) - [CVE-2024-45048](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45048/): XML External Entity Reference (XXE) in PHPSpreadsheet (high 8.8) - [CVE-2019-12331](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12331/): XXE in PHPSpreadsheet due to incomplete fix for previous encoding issue (high 8.8) - [CVE-2018-19277](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19277/): XXE in PHPSpreadsheet due to encoding issue (high 8.8) - [CVE-2024-56365](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56365/): PhpSpreadsheet vulnerable to unauthorized reflected XSS in the constructor of the Downloader class (high 8.3) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2024-48917 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-48917 is a high-severity vulnerability in PHPOffice PhpSpreadsheet, published on 18 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-48917 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.29.4 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.29.4 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 2.1.3 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 2.1.3 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 2.2.0; fixed in 2.3.2 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 2.2.0; fixed in 2.3.2 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.4.0 - phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.4.0 - phpoffice/phpexcel (Packagist): affected all versions up to 1.8.2; no fix listed - phpoffice/phpexcel (Packagist): affected all versions up to 1.8.2; no fix listed Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48917/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48917/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-48917 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-48917 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-48917 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48917/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.