CVE-2020-5299
Potential CSV Injection vector in OctoberCMS
In OctoberCMS (october/october composer package) versions from 1.0.319 and before 1.0.466, any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed: 1. Have found a vulnerability in the victims spreadsheet software of choice. 2. Control data that would potentially be exported through the ImportExportController by a theoretical victim. 3. Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software. Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.0
Potential CSV Injection vector in OctoberCMS
In OctoberCMS (october/october composer package) versions from 1.0.319 and before 1.0.466, any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed: 1. Have found a vulnerability in the victims spreadsheet software of choice. 2. Control data that would potentially be exported through the ImportExportController by a theoretical victim. 3. Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software. Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
- Record
CVE-2020-5299- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-77
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-0458
4.0
In OctoberCMS (october/october composer package) versions from 1.0.319 and before 1.0.466, any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed: 1. Have found a vulnerability in the victims spreadsheet software of choice. 2. Control data that would potentially be exported through the ImportExportController by a theoretical victim. 3. Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software. Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
- Record
EUVD-2020-0458- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q
4.0
Potential CSV Injection vector in OctoberCMS
Impact
Any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed:
- Have found a vulnerability in the victim's spreadsheet software of choice.
- Control data that would potentially be exported through the
ImportExportControllerby a theoretical victim. - Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software.
Patches
Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/octobercms/library/commit/c84bf03f506052c848f2fddc05f24be631427a1a & https://github.com/octobercms/october/commit/802d8c8e09a2b342649393edb6d3ceb958851484 to your installation manually if unable to upgrade to Build 466.
References
Reported by @chrisvidal initially & Sivanesh Ashok later.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Threat assessment:
Given the number of hoops that a potential attacker would have to jump through, this vulnerability really boils down to the possibility of abusing the trust that a user may have in the export functionality of the project. Thus, this has been rated low severity as it requires vulnerabilities to also exist in other software used by any potential victims as well as successful social engineering attacks.
- Record
GHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-77
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.0
In OctoberCMS (october/october composer package) versions from 1.0.319 and before 1.0.466, any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed: 1. Have found a vulnerability in the victims spreadsheet software of choice. 2. Control data that would potentially be exported through the ImportExportController by a theoretical victim. 3. Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software. Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
- Record
CVE-2020-5299- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L - CVSS 2.0
- 4.6 Medium
AV:N/AC:H/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-77
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.1
In OctoberCMS (october/october composer package) versions from 1.0.319 and before 1.0.466, any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed: 1. Have found a vulnerability in the victims spreadsheet software of choice. 2. Control data that would potentially be exported through the ImportExportController by a theoretical victim. 3. Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software. Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
- Record
CVE-2020-5299- CVSS 3.1
- 5.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q
4.0
Potential CSV Injection vector in OctoberCMS
Impact
Any users with the ability to modify any data that could eventually be exported as a CSV file from the ImportExportController could potentially introduce a CSV injection into the data to cause the generated CSV export file to be malicious. This requires attackers to achieve the following before a successful attack can be completed:
- Have found a vulnerability in the victim's spreadsheet software of choice.
- Control data that would potentially be exported through the
ImportExportControllerby a theoretical victim. - Convince the victim to export above data as a CSV and run it in vulnerable spreadsheet software while also bypassing any sanity checks by said software.
Patches
Issue has been patched in Build 466 (v1.0.466).
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/octobercms/library/commit/c84bf03f506052c848f2fddc05f24be631427a1a & https://github.com/octobercms/october/commit/802d8c8e09a2b342649393edb6d3ceb958851484 to your installation manually if unable to upgrade to Build 466.
References
Reported by @chrisvidal initially & Sivanesh Ashok later.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Threat assessment:
Given the number of hoops that a potential attacker would have to jump through, this vulnerability really boils down to the possibility of abusing the trust that a user may have in the export functionality of the project. Thus, this has been rated low severity as it requires vulnerabilities to also exist in other software used by any potential victims as well as successful social engineering attacks.
- Record
GHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-77
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
october/backendPackagist |
1.0.319 up to 1.0.466 | 1.0.466 |
october/backendPackagist |
1.0.319 up to 1.0.466, plus listed versions v1.0.319v1.0.320v1.0.321v1.0.322v1.0.323 Show 45 moreShow lessv1.0.324v1.0.325v1.0.326v1.0.327v1.0.328v1.0.329v1.0.330v1.0.331v1.0.332v1.0.333v1.0.334v1.0.335v1.0.336v1.0.337v1.0.338v1.0.339v1.0.340v1.0.341v1.0.342v1.0.343v1.0.344v1.0.345v1.0.346v1.0.347v1.0.348v1.0.349v1.0.350v1.0.351v1.0.352v1.0.353v1.0.354v1.0.355v1.0.356v1.0.357v1.0.358v1.0.359v1.0.360v1.0.361v1.0.362v1.0.363v1.0.364v1.0.365v1.0.366v1.0.367v1.0.368 |
1.0.466 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-5299 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.0) in Octobercms October, published June 3, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.00%, the 63rd percentile. Fixed in october/backend 1.0.466.
References
github.com/octobercms/october/security/advisories/GHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q
github.com/octobercms/library/commit/c84bf03f506052c848f2fddc05f24be631427a1a
github.com/octobercms/october/commit/802d8c8e09a2b342649393edb6d3ceb958851484
packetstormsecurity.com/files/158730/October-CMS-Build-465-XSS-File-Read-File-Deletion-CSV-Injection.html
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Aug/2
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5299
github.com/advisories/GHSA-4rhm-m2fp-hx7q
Left out here: 97 versions. The JSON record has them.