CVE-2020-13146 in Open edX Ironwood
Summary
by MITRE
Studio in Open edX Ironwood 2.5 allows CSV injection because an added cohort in Course>Instructor>Cohorts may contain a formula that is exported via the "Course>Data Downloads>Reports>Download profile info" feature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2020-13146 represents a critical csv injection flaw within the Open edX Ironwood 2.5 learning management system, specifically affecting the Studio component. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization when handling cohort data within the course instructor interface. The flaw manifests when administrators create cohorts through the Course>Instructor>Cohorts section and subsequently export this data via the Course>Data Downloads>Reports>Download profile info functionality. The system fails to properly escape or sanitize user-provided cohort names that may contain malicious spreadsheet formulas, creating a potential vector for arbitrary code execution through csv injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from the lack of proper data sanitization mechanisms within the export process. When users create cohort names containing spreadsheet formula characters such as equals signs, plus signs, or other formula indicators, these values are directly embedded into the exported csv file without appropriate escaping. This behavior aligns with CWE-15, which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in data queries, and CWE-74, which addresses injection flaws in data queries. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to craft malicious cohort names that, when processed through the csv export feature, can execute arbitrary commands on systems that open the resulting files with spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns, as it provides a potential pathway for privilege escalation and system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious code on target systems when unsuspecting administrators open the exported csv files in spreadsheet applications. This scenario demonstrates a classic chain of exploitation that can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, and T1078.004 for valid accounts, as the attack requires only the ability to create cohorts and access the export functionality. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in educational environments where multiple administrators may have access to these features, creating multiple potential attack vectors.
Organizations utilizing Open edX Ironwood 2.5 should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of cohort names to prevent formula characters from being accepted during cohort creation. The system should enforce proper escaping of special characters in exported csv files, ensuring that any potentially malicious formulas are neutralized before export. Additionally, administrators should be educated about the risks of opening csv files from untrusted sources, and organizations should consider implementing automated scanning solutions to detect and prevent the execution of malicious formulas in spreadsheet files. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation across all user-facing interfaces and demonstrates how seemingly benign features can become security risks when proper sanitization controls are not implemented. This issue underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against injection attacks in web applications.