Vulnerability detail

Vendor

Douglas Wilson

Product

Spreadsheet::ParseExcel

Published

Dec 24, 2023

EPSS

—

Description

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.

SSVC decision points

Exploitation

active

Automatable

No

Technical impact

total

References

• https://github.com/mandiant/Vulnerability-Disclosures/blob/master/2023/MNDT-2023-0019.md
• https://https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-7101
• https://https://metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel
• https://https://github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_poc
• https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/blob/c7298592e102a375d43150cd002feed806557c15/lib/Spreadsheet/ParseExcel/Utility.pm#L171
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/29/4
• https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00025.html
• https://https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/commit/bd3159277e745468e2c553417b35d5d7dc7405bc
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/IFEHKULQRVXHIV7XXK2RGD4VQN6Y4CV5/
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/M2FIWDHRYTAAQLGM6AFOZVM7AFZ4H2ZR/
• https://security.metacpan.org/2024/02/10/vulnerable-spreadsheet-parsing-modules.html