CVE-2025-54752: Alfasado PowerCMS RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54752 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Alfasado PowerCMS caused by improper CSV formula neutralization. Malicious entries can execute code when victims open exported CSV files. This article covers technical details, affected versions, impact assessment, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-54752 Overview

CVE-2025-54752 is a CSV formula injection vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Alfasado PowerCMS. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of formula elements when the application exports user-supplied data to CSV files. A product user with low privileges can inject malicious formula content into a CSV entry. When a victim downloads the file and opens it in a spreadsheet application, the embedded formula executes in the victim's environment. The issue is tracked as CWE-1236, Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File.

Critical Impact
Attackers with authenticated access to PowerCMS can plant CSV payloads that execute spreadsheet formulas on a victim's workstation, enabling data exfiltration or command execution through spreadsheet features.

Affected Products

Alfasado PowerCMS versions prior to 6.71
Alfasado PowerCMS versions prior to 5.31
Alfasado PowerCMS versions prior to 4.61

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-31 - CVE-2025-54752 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54752

Vulnerability Analysis

PowerCMS allows product users to submit entries that are later exported as CSV files. The application does not sanitize field values that begin with formula-triggering characters such as =, +, -, @, or tab and carriage-return prefixes. Spreadsheet applications including Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice Calc interpret these prefixes as formulas when the file is opened. An attacker leverages this behavior by submitting entries containing crafted formulas, for example =HYPERLINK or =cmd|..., that execute against the victim who opens the exported file.

The attack requires user interaction because the victim must download the CSV and open it in a vulnerable client application. Impact remains outside the PowerCMS server itself and lands on the endpoint that renders the CSV.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing output encoding when PowerCMS serializes stored user input into CSV. The exporter does not prefix untrusted cells with a neutralizing character such as a single quote, and it does not strip or escape leading formula operators. Any content persisted through the CMS entry interface flows unchanged into the CSV output.

Attack Vector

An authenticated PowerCMS user creates or edits an entry field with a payload beginning with a formula operator. When an administrator or other privileged user exports the data set to CSV and opens the file locally, the spreadsheet application evaluates the formula. Common exploitation outcomes include out-of-band data exfiltration through WEBSERVICE or HYPERLINK calls, and command execution via legacy Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) handlers where enabled.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. See the JVN Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54752

Indicators of Compromise

CSV files exported from PowerCMS containing cell values that begin with =, +, -, or @ in fields that should contain plain text.
Spreadsheet processes spawning child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or wscript.exe shortly after opening a downloaded CSV.
Outbound HTTP requests originating from excel.exe or soffice.bin to unexpected external hosts.

Detection Strategies

Inspect PowerCMS entry fields and exported CSV artifacts for leading formula operators using automated content scanning.
Correlate download events of CSV files from PowerCMS URLs with subsequent process creation events on the endpoint that opened them.
Alert on Office application telemetry showing formula evaluation of WEBSERVICE, IMPORTXML, HYPERLINK, or DDE constructs referencing external resources.

Monitoring Recommendations

Log and review all CSV export operations performed by PowerCMS administrators, including the requesting user and record scope.
Monitor endpoint EDR telemetry for spreadsheet applications launching interpreters or making network connections to non-corporate destinations.
Track authentication and content-creation activity from low-privilege PowerCMS accounts that submit entries containing suspicious characters.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54752

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade PowerCMS to a fixed release: version 6.71, 5.31, or 4.61, depending on the branch in use.
Audit existing PowerCMS entries for stored values beginning with formula operators and neutralize them before further exports.
Restrict CSV export privileges to trusted administrators and require review of exports produced from user-generated content.

Patch Information

Alfasado has released fixed builds. Details are documented in the PowerCMS Release Announcement. Administrators should apply version 6.71, 5.31, or 4.61 corresponding to their deployed branch and verify export behavior after upgrade.

Workarounds

Configure spreadsheet applications organization-wide to disable automatic formula execution, DDE, and external data retrieval when opening downloaded files.
Open PowerCMS-exported CSV files in a text editor or import them with the "treat as text" option rather than double-clicking to open in a spreadsheet.
Add server-side sanitization at the export layer that prefixes any cell beginning with =, +, -, @, tab, or carriage return with a single quote until the patch is applied.