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Medium

PhpSpreadsheet HTML writer is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting via JavaScript hyperlinks

  • Disclosed: 07.10.2024
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

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
<?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

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed 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

CVSS score 5.4/10
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/phpspreadsheet

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (31) in the archive
Total entries
31
First → latest
11.2019 07.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 2
  • High 17
  • Medium 12

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. PHPSpreadsheet: XLS/OLE sector-chain self-loop causes memory exhaustion
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-59933 >= 4.0.0, < 5.8.1, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.7, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.18, < 1.30.6 5.8.1, 3.10.7, 2.4.7, 2.1.18, 1.30.6
  2. PHPSpreadsheet: Gnumeric reader unbounded gzip expansion causes memory exhaustion
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-59932 >= 4.0.0, < 5.8.1, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.7, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.18, < 1.30.6 5.8.1, 3.10.7, 2.4.7, 2.1.18, 1.30.6
  3. PHPSpreadsheet: SSRF bypass via HTTP redirect in WEBSERVICE() domain whitelist
    High · 7.7 CVE-2026-59931 >= 4.0.0, < 5.8.1, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.7, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.18, < 1.30.6 5.8.1, 3.10.7, 2.4.7, 2.1.18, 1.30.6
  4. PHPSpreadsheet has a patch bypass for CVE-2026-34084
    Critical CVE-2026-45034 < 1.30.5 1.30.5
  5. PhpSpreadsheet has CPU Denial of Service via Unbounded Row Number in XLSX Row Dimensions
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-40902 >= 4.0.0, < 5.7.0, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.5, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.5, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.16, < 1.30.4 5.7.0, 3.10.5, 2.4.5, 2.1.16, 1.30.4
  6. PhpSpreadsheet has CPU Denial of Service via Unbounded Row Index in SpreadsheetML XML Reader
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-40863 >= 4.0.0, < 5.7.0, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.5, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.5, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.16, < 1.30.4 5.7.0, 3.10.5, 2.4.5, 2.1.16, 1.30.4
  7. PhpSpreadsheet has SSRF/RCE in IOFactory::load when $filename is user controlled
    Critical CVE-2026-34084 >= 4.0.0, < 5.6.0, >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.4, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.4, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.15, < 1.30.3 5.6.0, 3.10.4, 2.4.4, 2.1.15, 1.30.3
  8. PhpSpreadsheet vulnerable to SSRF when reading and displaying a processed HTML document in the browser
    High CVE-2025-54370 < 1.30.0, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.12, >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.0, >= 3.0.0, < 3.10.0, >= 4.0.0, < 5.0.0 1.30.0, 2.1.12, 2.4.0, 3.10.0, 5.0.0
  9. PhpSpreadsheet allows unauthorized Reflected XSS in Currency.php file
    High · 7.1 CVE-2024-56409 >= 3.0.0, < 3.7.0, < 1.29.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.6, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.5 3.7.0, 1.29.7, 2.1.6, 2.3.5
  10. PhpSpreadsheet allows unauthorized Reflected XSS in the Accounting.php file
    High · 7.1 CVE-2024-56366 >= 3.0.0, < 3.7.0, < 1.29.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.6, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.5 3.7.0, 1.29.7, 2.1.6, 2.3.5
  11. PhpSpreadsheet allows unauthorized Reflected XSS in the constructor of the Downloader class
    High · 7.1 CVE-2024-56365 >= 3.0.0, < 3.7.0, < 1.29.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.6, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.5 3.7.0, 1.29.7, 2.1.6, 2.3.5
  12. PhpSpreadsheet allows unauthorized Reflected XSS in `Convert-Online.php` file
    High · 7.1 CVE-2024-56408 >= 3.0.0, < 3.7.0, < 1.29.7, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.6, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.5 3.7.0, 1.29.7, 2.1.6, 2.3.5
  13. XXE in PHPSpreadsheet's XLSX reader
    High · 7.5 CVE-2024-48917 < 1.29.4, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.3, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.2, >= 3.3.0, < 3.4.0 1.29.4, 2.1.3, 2.3.2, 3.4.0
  14. XmlScanner bypass leads to XXE
    High · 7.5 CVE-2024-47873 < 1.29.4, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.3, >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.2, >= 3.3.0, < 3.4.0 1.29.4, 2.1.3, 2.3.2, 3.4.0
  15. PhpSpreadsheet HTML writer is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting via JavaScript hyperlinks this entry
    Medium · 5.4 CVE-2024-45292 >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0, < 1.29.2, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.1 2.3.0, 1.29.2, 2.1.1
  16. PhpSpreadsheet allows absolute path traversal and Server-Side Request Forgery when opening XLSX file
    High · 7.7 CVE-2024-45290 >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0, < 1.29.2, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.1 2.3.0, 1.29.2, 2.1.1
  17. PHPSpreadsheet Library < 2.3.0 - XXE Injection
    High · 7.5 CVE-2024-45293 >= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0, < 1.29.1, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.1 2.3.0, 1.29.1, 2.1.1
  18. XXE in PHPSpreadsheet encoding is returned
    High · 8.8 CVE-2024-45048 < 1.29.1, >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.1, >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.1 1.29.1, 2.2.1, 2.1.1
  19. XXE in PHPSpreadsheet due to incomplete fix for previous encoding issue
    High · 8.8 CVE-2019-12331 < 1.8.0 1.8.0
  20. XXE in PHPSpreadsheet due to encoding issue
    High · 8.8 CVE-2018-19277 < 1.5.1 1.5.1

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