diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 15997f4ead..51a5cb84fd 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -25320,10 +25320,10 @@
     },
     "packages/contentstack": {
       "name": "@contentstack/cli",
-      "version": "1.17.0",
+      "version": "1.17.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.1",
+        "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.2",
         "@contentstack/cli-auth": "~1.3.17",
         "@contentstack/cli-cm-bootstrap": "~1.9.0",
         "@contentstack/cli-cm-branches": "~1.0.24",
@@ -25388,7 +25388,7 @@
     },
     "packages/contentstack-audit": {
       "name": "@contentstack/cli-audit",
-      "version": "1.5.1",
+      "version": "1.5.2",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@contentstack/cli-command": "~1.2.16",
@@ -26836,7 +26836,7 @@
       "version": "1.15.0",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.1",
+        "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.2",
         "@contentstack/cli-command": "~1.2.16",
         "@contentstack/cli-utilities": "~1.6.0",
         "@contentstack/management": "~1.15.3",
@@ -27455,4 +27455,4 @@
       "dev": true
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/contentstack-audit/package.json b/packages/contentstack-audit/package.json
index abca50ec1e..f1d3f5a338 100644
--- a/packages/contentstack-audit/package.json
+++ b/packages/contentstack-audit/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@contentstack/cli-audit",
-  "version": "1.5.1",
+  "version": "1.5.2",
   "description": "Contentstack audit plugin",
   "author": "Contentstack CLI",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/contentstack/cli",
diff --git a/packages/contentstack-audit/src/modules/entries.ts b/packages/contentstack-audit/src/modules/entries.ts
index 87082a369c..b02899eada 100644
--- a/packages/contentstack-audit/src/modules/entries.ts
+++ b/packages/contentstack-audit/src/modules/entries.ts
@@ -301,6 +301,11 @@ export default class Entries {
     fieldStructure: ReferenceFieldDataType,
     field: EntryReferenceFieldDataType[],
   ) {
+    if (typeof field === 'string') {
+      let stringReference = field as string;
+      stringReference = stringReference.replace(/'/g, '"');
+      field = JSON.parse(stringReference);
+    }
     return this.validateReferenceValues(tree, fieldStructure, field);
   }
 
@@ -826,6 +831,11 @@ export default class Entries {
     entry: EntryReferenceFieldDataType[],
   ) {
     const missingRefs: Record<string, any>[] = [];
+    if (typeof entry === 'string') {
+      let stringReference = entry as string;
+      stringReference = stringReference.replace(/'/g, '"');
+      entry = JSON.parse(stringReference);
+    }
     entry = entry
       ?.map((reference) => {
         const { uid } = reference;
diff --git a/packages/contentstack-import/package.json b/packages/contentstack-import/package.json
index 771c835b22..9b2df1564b 100644
--- a/packages/contentstack-import/package.json
+++ b/packages/contentstack-import/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "author": "Contentstack",
   "bugs": "https://github.com/contentstack/cli/issues",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.1",
+    "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.2",
     "@contentstack/cli-command": "~1.2.16",
     "@contentstack/cli-utilities": "~1.6.0",
     "@contentstack/management": "~1.15.3",
diff --git a/packages/contentstack/package.json b/packages/contentstack/package.json
index ea37096f22..41dce9d621 100755
--- a/packages/contentstack/package.json
+++ b/packages/contentstack/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@contentstack/cli",
   "description": "Command-line tool (CLI) to interact with Contentstack",
-  "version": "1.17.0",
+  "version": "1.17.1",
   "author": "Contentstack",
   "bin": {
     "csdx": "./bin/run"
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     "prepack": "pnpm compile && oclif manifest && oclif readme"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.1",
+    "@contentstack/cli-audit": "~1.5.2",
     "@contentstack/cli-auth": "~1.3.17",
     "@contentstack/cli-cm-bootstrap": "~1.9.0",
     "@contentstack/cli-cm-branches": "~1.0.24",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 40adc2b418..181c16cad6 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ importers:
 
   packages/contentstack:
     specifiers:
-      '@contentstack/cli-audit': ~1.5.1
+      '@contentstack/cli-audit': ~1.5.2
       '@contentstack/cli-auth': ~1.3.17
       '@contentstack/cli-cm-bootstrap': ~1.9.0
       '@contentstack/cli-cm-branches': ~1.0.24
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ importers:
 
   packages/contentstack-import:
     specifiers:
-      '@contentstack/cli-audit': ~1.5.1
+      '@contentstack/cli-audit': ~1.5.2
       '@contentstack/cli-command': ~1.2.16
       '@contentstack/cli-utilities': ~1.6.0
       '@contentstack/management': ~1.15.3