HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-41270
MEDIUM

CVE-2021-41270

CWE-1236Published: November 24, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Symfony/Serializer handles serializing and deserializing data structures for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Symfony versions 4.1.0 before 4.4.35 and versions 5.0.0 before 5.3.12 are vulnerable to CSV injection, also known as formula injection. In Symfony 4.1, maintainers added the opt-in `csv_escape_formulas` option in the `CsvEncoder`, to prefix all cells starting with `=`, `+`, `-` or `@` with a tab `\t`. Since then, OWASP added 2 chars in that list: Tab (0x09) and Carriage return (0x0D). This makes the previous prefix char (Tab `\t`) part of the vulnerable characters, and OWASP suggests using the single quote `'` for prefixing the value. Starting with versions 4.4.34 and 5.3.12, Symfony now follows the OWASP recommendations and uses the single quote `'` to prefix formulas and add the prefix to cells starting by `\t`, `\r` as well as `=`, `+`, `-` and `@`.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-41270 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 6.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
sensiolabs1 product(s)
symfony
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (12)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-41270
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-1236
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 24, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-1236)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2021-41270 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.