CVE-2025-6838

Broken Link Notifier <= 1.3.0 - Authenticated (Contributor+) CSV Injection

2025-07-10 19:45

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.3.1
Affected Plugin: Broken Link Notifier
Affected Version: <= 1.3.0
CVSS: 4.1Medium
Weakness type: CWE-1236 · Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File
CVE: CVE-2025-6838

View all Broken Link Notifier vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2025-6838 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File vulnerability in the Broken Link Notifier WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.3.0. It carries a CVSS score of 4.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.3.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2025, reported by Jonas Benjamin Friedli.

Vulnerability Overview

The Broken Link Notifier plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to CSV Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.0 via broken links that are later exported. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to embed untrusted input into exported CSV files, which can result in code execution when these files are downloaded and opened on a local system with a vulnerable configuration.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed.

CWE-1236: Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File

The product saves user-provided information into a Comma-Separated Value (CSV) file, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as a command when the file is opened by a spreadsheet product.

Remediation

Update to version 1.3.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Contributor access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Broken Link Notifier 1.3.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-6838 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cd96beee-afcb-4439-ad9b-f24e8afeac3c https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6838

Related records

CVSS Vector

4.1

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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