CVE-2025-31978: CWE-201: Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data in HCL Software BigFix Service Management (SM)
HCL BigFix Service Management (SM) does not adequately sanitize or safely render spreadsheet files (CSV, XLS, XLSX) before processing or distributing them. An attacker could populate data fields which, when saved to a CSV file, may attempt information exfiltration or other malicious activity when automatically executed by the spreadsheet software. Note that current versions of Excel warn users of untrusted content.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2025-31978 is a vulnerability in HCL BigFix Service Management (SM) version 23 where the software inadequately sanitizes spreadsheet files (CSV, XLS, XLSX) before processing or distribution. This can allow an attacker to insert sensitive information into the data fields of these files, potentially enabling information exfiltration or malicious activity when the files are opened in spreadsheet software. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-201 (Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.6, indicating medium severity. No vendor advisory or patch information is currently available, and the product is not a cloud service, so remediation depends on vendor updates.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could lead to leakage of sensitive information embedded within spreadsheet files generated or distributed by BigFix Service Management. The impact is limited to confidentiality (low impact on integrity and no impact on availability). Since modern spreadsheet software like Excel warns users about untrusted content, the risk of exploitation is somewhat mitigated. There are no known active exploits targeting this vulnerability as of the published date.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, users should exercise caution when handling spreadsheet files generated by BigFix Service Management, especially those received from untrusted sources. Leveraging spreadsheet software's built-in warnings and disabling automatic execution of potentially harmful content can help reduce risk.
CVE-2025-31978: CWE-201: Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data in HCL Software BigFix Service Management (SM)
Description
HCL BigFix Service Management (SM) does not adequately sanitize or safely render spreadsheet files (CSV, XLS, XLSX) before processing or distributing them. An attacker could populate data fields which, when saved to a CSV file, may attempt information exfiltration or other malicious activity when automatically executed by the spreadsheet software. Note that current versions of Excel warn users of untrusted content.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-31978 is a vulnerability in HCL BigFix Service Management (SM) version 23 where the software inadequately sanitizes spreadsheet files (CSV, XLS, XLSX) before processing or distribution. This can allow an attacker to insert sensitive information into the data fields of these files, potentially enabling information exfiltration or malicious activity when the files are opened in spreadsheet software. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-201 (Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.6, indicating medium severity. No vendor advisory or patch information is currently available, and the product is not a cloud service, so remediation depends on vendor updates.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could lead to leakage of sensitive information embedded within spreadsheet files generated or distributed by BigFix Service Management. The impact is limited to confidentiality (low impact on integrity and no impact on availability). Since modern spreadsheet software like Excel warns users about untrusted content, the risk of exploitation is somewhat mitigated. There are no known active exploits targeting this vulnerability as of the published date.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, users should exercise caution when handling spreadsheet files generated by BigFix Service Management, especially those received from untrusted sources. Leveraging spreadsheet software's built-in warnings and disabling automatic execution of potentially harmful content can help reduce risk.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- HCL
- Date Reserved
- 2025-04-01T18:46:26.621Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69fb4e88cbff5d8610f95bfa
Added to database: 5/6/2026, 2:22:00 PM
Last enriched: 5/6/2026, 2:37:09 PM
Last updated: 5/7/2026, 8:18:01 AM
Views: 12
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.