CVE-2025-11576 identifies a CSV Injection vulnerability (CWE-1236) in the 'AI Chatbot Free Models – Customer Support, Live Chat, Virtual Assistant' WordPress plugin developed by newcodebyte. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.6.5, specifically within the 'newcodebyte_chatbot_export_messages' function responsible for exporting chat messages to CSV files. Due to improper neutralization of formula elements, untrusted input can be embedded directly into CSV exports without adequate sanitization or escaping. When a user downloads and opens the malicious CSV file in spreadsheet applications that automatically evaluate formulas (e.g., Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc), the embedded formulas can execute arbitrary commands or code on the local machine. This can lead to local system compromise, data manipulation, or further malware deployment. The attack vector requires no authentication, meaning any unauthenticated attacker can craft and trigger this injection by submitting malicious input that gets exported. However, exploitation requires user interaction to open the CSV file, limiting remote automatic exploitation. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.3 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction and impacting integrity only. No patches or official fixes are currently available, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability highlights the risks of insufficient input sanitization in export functions and the dangers of automatic formula evaluation in spreadsheet software.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to local system compromise of users who open maliciously crafted CSV files exported from the vulnerable plugin. This is particularly concerning for companies relying on the AI Chatbot plugin for customer support and live chat, as attackers could inject malicious formulas via chat inputs or other user-supplied data. The impact includes potential integrity violations of exported data, execution of arbitrary code on local machines, and subsequent lateral movement or data exfiltration if attackers gain footholds. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise server confidentiality or availability, the risk to endpoint security and data integrity is significant. Organizations handling sensitive customer data or operating in regulated sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare) face increased risk due to potential data manipulation or malware infection. The medium severity rating suggests a moderate risk, but the ease of injection and lack of authentication requirements increase the threat surface. European entities with high usage of WordPress and this plugin should consider the risk to their operational security and user endpoints.

To mitigate CVE-2025-11576, organizations should first check for updates or patches from the plugin vendor and apply them promptly once available. In the absence of official patches, administrators should implement input sanitization or escaping routines to neutralize formula characters (=, +, -, @) in CSV exports, preventing them from being interpreted as formulas. Restrict access to the CSV export functionality to authenticated and trusted users only, reducing exposure to unauthenticated attackers. Educate users to avoid opening CSV files from untrusted sources or to open them with formula evaluation disabled. Configure spreadsheet applications to disable automatic formula execution or enable protected view modes for downloaded CSV files. Employ network controls to monitor and restrict downloads of exported CSV files where feasible. Additionally, consider alternative export formats (e.g., JSON, XML) that do not support formula execution. Regularly audit logs for suspicious export activity and user inputs that may contain formula injection attempts. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block malicious payloads targeting the export function.