CVE-2026-18738 (CVSS 4.7)

Description

Shlink versions 5.0.0 through 5.1.5 contain a CSV formula injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to plant spreadsheet formulas into exported visit data by supplying malicious values in User-Agent, Referer, or request path headers beginning with formula-triggering characters such as =, +, -, or @. Attackers can craft a single unauthenticated request against any short URL to embed DDE or WEBSERVICE formula payloads into CSV cells, which are then executed on an administrator's client machine when the exported CSV file is opened in a spreadsheet application that evaluates formulas.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

4.7

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0038

Probability of exploitation

0.31%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-1236 CWE-1236

References

Other References

https://github.com/shlinkio/shlink https://github.com/theopaid/CSV-formula-injection-in-visit-exports-shlink- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/shlink-csv-formula-injection-via-visit-export-cli

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-18738? +

Shlink versions 5.0.0 through 5.1.5 contain a CSV formula injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to plant spreadsheet formulas into exported visit data by supplying malicious values in User-Agent, Referer, or request path headers beginning with formula-triggering characters such as =, +, -, or @. Attackers can craft a single unauthenticated request against any short URL to embed DDE or WEBSERVICE formula payloads into CSV cells, which are then executed on an administrator's client machine when the exported CSV file is opened in a spreadsheet application that evaluates formulas. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.7 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-18738? +

CVE-2026-18738 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0038, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-18738? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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