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Ldap StudioApplication · Apache

CVE-2015-5349

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-04-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The CSV export in Apache LDAP Studio and Apache Directory Studio before 2.0.0-M10 does not properly escape field values, which might allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands by leveraging a crafted LDAP entry that is interpreted as a formula when imported into a spreadsheet.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a CSV injection (formula injection) vulnerability in Apache LDAP Studio and Apache Directory Studio. When exporting LDAP entries to CSV format, field values are not properly escaped. Specially crafted LDAP entry values beginning with formula characters (=, +, -, @, etc.) are interpreted as spreadsheet formulas when the CSV is opened in Excel or LibreOffice Calc, potentially executing arbitrary commands on the user's system.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Directory Studio version 2.0.0-M10 or later which implements proper CSV field value escaping to prevent formula injection. Alternatively, avoid opening exported CSV files in spreadsheet applications or sanitize data before export.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Ldap StudioApplication
Affected:= 0.6.0= 0.7.0= 0.8.0= 0.8.1
Directory StudioApplication
Affected:= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.1.0= 1.2.0= 1.3.0= 1.4.0= 1.5.0= 1.5.1= 1.5.2= 1.5.3= 2.0.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Apache studio product
    Look for Apache LDAP Studio or Apache Directory Studio in the application installation directory, or run the application and check About/Help menu for version information
    Affected if Either Apache LDAP Studio version 0.6.0, 0.7.0, 0.8.0, or 0.8.1, or Apache Directory Studio version 1.0.0 through 2.0.0 is installed
  2. Compare installed version to affected ranges
    Check the exact version number found in the About section against the list: LDAP Studio 0.6.0-0.8.1 or Directory Studio 1.0.0-2.0.0
    Affected if The installed version matches any of the affected versions listed
  3. Check for CSV export usage
    Search for CSV files that may have been exported from the LDAP studio, typically in user-specified export directories or Downloads folder
    Affected if CSV files exported using the affected product exist on the system
  4. Inspect CSV files for formula injection characters
    Open exported CSV files in a plain text editor and look for lines beginning with =, +, -, @, tab, or other formula-initiating characters in field values
    Affected if Any CSV export contains LDAP attribute values that start with formula characters without proper escaping (such as prepending a single quote or space)
  5. Verify if CSV files opened in spreadsheet applications
    Check recent usage history or ask users if they have opened exported CSV files in Excel or LibreOffice Calc
    Affected if Exported CSV files containing unescaped formula characters were opened in spreadsheet software

A user is affected if they have Apache LDAP Studio (0.6.0-0.8.1) or Apache Directory Studio (1.0.0-2.0.0) installed AND have exported LDAP entries to CSV format with attribute values beginning with formula characters (=, +, -, @, etc.) and opened those files in spreadsheet applications.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Directory Studio version 2.0.0-M10 or later which implements proper CSV field value escaping to prevent formula injection. Alternatively, avoid opening exported CSV files in spreadsheet applications or sanitize data before export.

Fix this in Ldap Studio Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-5349 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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