What is GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

### 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: ``` load(__DIR__ . '/book.xlsx'); $writer = new \PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Html($spreadsheet); print($writer->generateHTMLAll()); ``` Save this file in the same directory: [book.xlsx](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/files/15099763/book.xlsx

How severe is GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh has a CVSS score of 5.4/10, rated MEDIUM. Review your exposure and patch according to your risk tolerance.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh affects the following packages: phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist), phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist), phpoffice/phpspreadsheet (Packagist), phpoffice/phpexcel (Packagist). Ecosystems affected: Packagist.

How do I fix GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

Update phpoffice/phpspreadsheet to 2.3.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh in my Packagist dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for phpoffice/phpspreadsheet. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.3%, placing it in the 23th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh?

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh is classified as Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh was published on October 7, 2024 and was last updated on March 6, 2025. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐘 Packagist

GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh

MEDIUM

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

Also known asCVE-2024-45292

Published

Oct 7, 2024

Updated

Mar 6, 2025

Affected

4 pkgs

Patched

3 / 4

Exploits

None indexed

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk23th percentile-0.74%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

4 pkgs affected

🐘phpoffice/phpspreadsheet🐘phpoffice/phpspreadsheet🐘phpoffice/phpspreadsheet🐘phpoffice/phpexcel

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

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

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 Packages

4 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐘Packagist	`phpoffice/phpspreadsheet`	≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.3.0	2.3.0
🐘Packagist	`phpoffice/phpspreadsheet`	all versions	1.29.2
🐘Packagist	`phpoffice/phpspreadsheet`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.1.1	2.1.1
🐘Packagist	`phpoffice/phpexcel`	all versions	No fix

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for phpoffice/phpspreadsheet. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update phpoffice/phpspreadsheet to 2.3.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

### 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 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](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/files/15099763/book.xlsx

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-r8w8-74ww-j4wh across Packagist dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works