CVE-2025-58844 in Database to Excel Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/05/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Subhash Kumar Database to Excel allows Stored XSS. This issue affects Database to Excel: from n/a through 1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the Database to Excel plugin developed by Subhash Kumar, where a cross-site request forgery vulnerability enables stored cross-site scripting attacks. The issue exists within the plugin's handling of user input and request processing mechanisms, creating a dangerous chain of exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability affects all versions from the initial release through version 1.0, indicating it is a fundamental flaw in the plugin's architecture rather than a temporary oversight. The CSRF vulnerability allows attackers to trick authenticated users into executing malicious actions on the web application, while the stored XSS component enables persistent malicious scripts to be injected and executed in the context of other users' browsers. This combination creates a particularly dangerous attack vector where an attacker can establish a foothold in the application and maintain persistent access through the stored script execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user-supplied data within the plugin's database export functionality. When users interact with the Database to Excel plugin, the application fails to properly implement anti-CSRF tokens or other protective mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized requests from being executed. The stored XSS component emerges when the plugin processes user input without proper encoding or sanitization, allowing malicious scripts to be persisted in the database and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are loaded. This flaw aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and CWE-79, which covers cross-site scripting issues. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the plugin's core functionality, which typically requires elevated privileges to access and modify database content, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for system integrity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables persistent malicious activities within the affected environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can establish long-term access to user sessions, potentially gaining access to sensitive database information, user credentials, or other confidential data. The stored nature of the XSS payload means that even if the initial attack vector is patched, the malicious scripts will continue to execute against all affected users until manually removed from the database. This vulnerability affects not only the end users but also the administrators who may be tricked into executing malicious commands through CSRF attacks. The attack surface includes any user with access to the plugin's export functionality, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where database access is common. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for initial access through social engineering or CSRF attacks, and T1059 for execution of malicious scripts through XSS, with potential progression to T1082 for system discovery and T1531 for credential access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the CSRF and stored XSS components simultaneously. Organizations should immediately implement proper CSRF token validation mechanisms throughout the plugin's functionality, ensuring that all state-changing requests require valid tokens that are tied to the user's active session. Input validation and output encoding should be strengthened to prevent malicious scripts from being stored or executed in the database. The plugin should be updated to version 1.1 or later if available, as this would likely contain patches addressing the identified vulnerabilities. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor for suspicious patterns in database export requests and XSS payload attempts. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough audits of the database content to identify and remove any existing malicious payloads that may have been injected through this vulnerability. Regular security testing and code reviews should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future development cycles, with particular attention to the handling of user input in state-changing operations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and following secure coding guidelines that address both CSRF and XSS prevention mechanisms in web applications.