CVE-2025-11254 is a CSV Injection vulnerability classified under CWE-1236, affecting the WordPress plugin Contest Gallery – Upload, Vote & Sell with PayPal and Stripe in all versions up to 27.0.3. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly neutralize formula elements in CSV files generated from gallery submissions. An unauthenticated attacker can submit specially crafted input containing malicious formula syntax (e.g., starting with '=', '+', '-', or '@') that gets embedded into the CSV export. When a legitimate user downloads and opens this CSV file in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc, the malicious formula can execute arbitrary commands or code on the local system. This can lead to unauthorized actions such as data manipulation, command execution, or malware deployment on the user's machine. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality directly but threatens integrity and potentially availability through local code execution. Exploitation requires no authentication but does require user interaction to open the malicious file. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction and limited impact to integrity only. No patches or fixes have been published at disclosure, and no known exploits are reported in the wild. The vulnerability is significant for organizations that rely on this plugin and routinely export and open CSV files from user-submitted data without additional sanitization or validation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of data and the security of end-user systems that handle CSV exports from the affected plugin. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code on local machines of employees or administrators who open the exported CSV files, potentially leading to malware infections, unauthorized data manipulation, or lateral movement within the network. Organizations involved in e-commerce, contests, or community engagement using this plugin are at risk, especially if CSV exports are shared or processed without strict controls. The impact is localized to the user opening the file but can cascade if attackers gain footholds on critical systems. Given the plugin’s integration with PayPal and Stripe, there is an indirect risk to financial transaction integrity if attackers manipulate contest or sales data. The medium severity and lack of known exploits reduce immediate urgency but warrant proactive mitigation to prevent exploitation. The threat is heightened in environments where users lack awareness of CSV injection risks or where spreadsheet software is configured to allow automatic formula execution.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately audit and restrict access to CSV export functionality within the Contest Gallery plugin, limiting it to trusted users only. 2) Employ input validation and sanitization on all user-submitted data to neutralize formula characters ('=', '+', '-', '@') before embedding into CSV exports. 3) Educate users and administrators about the risks of opening CSV files from untrusted sources and recommend opening CSV files in applications that disable automatic formula execution or use CSV viewers that treat all content as plain text. 4) Monitor and log CSV export activities to detect unusual or suspicious submissions. 5) Consider disabling or replacing the vulnerable plugin if no patch is available, or isolate its usage in segmented environments. 6) Follow up with the plugin vendor for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 7) Implement endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block suspicious macro or formula execution triggered by CSV files.