CVE-2026-40902 Details
Description
PhpSpreadsheet is a pure PHP library for reading and writing spreadsheet files. Prior to 1.30.4, 2.1.16, 2.4.5, 3.10.5, and 5.7.0, the XLSX reader's ColumnAndRowAttributes::readRowAttributes() method reads row numbers from XML attributes without validating them against the spreadsheet maximum row limit (AddressRange::MAX_ROW = 1,048,576). An attacker can craft a minimal XLSX file (~1.6KB) containing a <row r="999999999"/> element that inflates cachedHighestRow to 999,999,999, causing any subsequent row iteration to attempt ~1 billion loop cycles and exhaust CPU resources. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.30.4, 2.1.16, 2.4.5, 3.10.5, and 5.7.0.
A denial-of-service vulnerability has been identified in PhpSpreadsheet versions prior to 1.30.4, 2.1.16, 2.4.5, 3.10.5, and 5.7.0. The issue arises in the XLSX reader's ColumnAndRowAttributes::readRowAttributes() method, which reads row numbers from XML attributes without validating them against the maximum spreadsheet row limit of 1,048,576. This flaw allows an attacker to create a minimal XLSX file containing a row element with an excessively high row number, which inflates the cached highest row value. Subsequent row iterations then attempt to process nearly one billion rows, exhausting CPU resources.
Users can upgrade to PhpSpreadsheet versions 1.30.4, 2.1.16, 2.4.5, 3.10.5, or 5.7.0, where this vulnerability has been fixed.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
CISA-ADP
Assessed May 13, 2026References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/security/advisories/GHSA-7c6m-4442-2x6m | CISA-ADP | ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory |
| https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/security/advisories/GHSA-7c6m-4442-2x6m | [email protected] | ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-770 | Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| phpoffice phpspreadsheet | < 1.30.4 >= 2.0.0, < 2.1.16 >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.5 >= 3.3.0, < 3.10.5 >= 4.0.0, < 5.7.0 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
5 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | [email protected] |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| May 14, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| May 13, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| May 12, 2026 | New CVE Received | [email protected] |