RCE in Douglas Wilson Spreadsheet::parseexcel
CVE-2023-7101
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel version 0.65 is a Perl module used for parsing Excel files. Spreadsheet::ParseExcel is vulnerable to an arbitrary code execution (ACE) vulnerability due to passing unvalidated input from a file into a string-type “eval”. Specifically, the issue stems from the evaluation of Number format strings (not to be confused with printf-style format strings) within the Excel parsing logic.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.190 (97.3th percentile), scored .
Moderate probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — watch for active exploitation reports. 97th percentile — 97.3% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.191 · newest: 0.190 · change: -0.001
Affected products
- Douglas Wilson Spreadsheet::parseexcel — versions 0.65
- Jmcnamara Spreadsheet\ — versions \
- Jmcnamara Spreadsheet\:\:parseexcel
- Debian Linux — versions 10.0
- Fedoraproject Fedora — versions 38, 39
Weakness classification (CWE)
CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)
This CVE is on the CISA KEV catalog, added on . CISA KEV inclusion means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation; US federal agencies are required to remediate within a published due date.
BOD 22-01 due date: .
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- github.com/mandiant/Vulnerability-Disclosures/blob/master/2023/MNDT-2023-0019.md (Third Party Advisory)
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord (Third Party Advisory, Broken Link)
- https://metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel (Product, Broken Link)
- https://github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_poc (Third Party Advisory, Broken Link)
- github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/blob/c7298592e102a375d43150cd002fee… (Product)
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/29/4 (Patch, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00025.html (Mailing List)
- https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/commit/bd3159277e745468e2c5… (Patch, Broken Link)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/… (Mailing List, Broken Link)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/… (Mailing List, Broken Link)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2023-7101?
- CVE-2023-7101 is a high-severity vulnerability in Douglas Wilson Spreadsheet::parseexcel, classified under Eval Injection. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2023-12-24.
- How severe is CVE-2023-7101?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2023-7101 known to be exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2023-7101 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-01-02), indicating it is being actively exploited. 4 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.