CVE-2023-7101: Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) Vulnerability

Published Dec 24, 2023
·
Updated

Spreadsheet::ParseExcel contains a remote code execution 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 within the Excel parsing logic.

Other sources

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.

— Ubuntu

Affected Software

14 affected componentsFixes available
debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<=0.6500-1
0.6500-1+deb10u10.6500-1.1+deb11u10.6500-4~deb12u10.6600-1
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.6500-1ubuntu0.18.04.1~
0.6500-1ubuntu0.18.04.1~
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.6500-1ubuntu0.20.04.1
0.6500-1ubuntu0.20.04.1
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.6500-1.1ubuntu0.1
0.6500-1.1ubuntu0.1
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.5800-1ubuntu0.1~
0.5800-1ubuntu0.1~
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.6500-4
0.6500-4
ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl<0.6500-1ubuntu0.16.04.1~
0.6500-1ubuntu0.16.04.1~
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel Spreadsheet::ParseExcel
Google Chrome=120.0.6099.129/130
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel Spreadsheet::ParseExcel=0.65
Jmcnamara Spreadsheet\<=0.65
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
Fedoraproject Fedora=38
Fedoraproject Fedora=39

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1+deb10u1Fixed in 0.6500-1.1+deb11u1Fixed in 0.6500-4~deb12u1Fixed in 0.6600-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1ubuntu0.18.04.1~
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1ubuntu0.20.04.1
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1.1ubuntu0.1
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.5800-1ubuntu0.1~
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-4
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1ubuntu0.16.04.1~
  8. Upgrade

    Upgrade Spreadsheet::ParseExcel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.66
  9. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1+deb10u1
  10. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-1.1+deb11u1
  11. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6500-4~deb12u1
  12. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/libspreadsheet-parseexcel-perl to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0.6600-1

Event History

Dec 24, 2023
CVE Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:34 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:34 PM
RemedyDescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Dec 27, 2023
News Published
11:49 AM
Jan 2, 2024
Known Exploited
via CISA·12:00 AM
Jan 3, 2024
News Published
12:55 PM
May 29, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·03:01 PM
Description

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2023-7101?

CVE-2023-7101 has a critical severity due to the potential for remote code execution.

2

How do I fix CVE-2023-7101?

To fix CVE-2023-7101, upgrade Spreadsheet::ParseExcel to version 0.66 or later.

3

Which versions of Spreadsheet::ParseExcel are affected by CVE-2023-7101?

CVE-2023-7101 affects versions up to 0.65 of Spreadsheet::ParseExcel.

4

Can CVE-2023-7101 be exploited remotely?

Yes, CVE-2023-7101 can be exploited remotely due to the nature of the vulnerability.

5

Is CVE-2023-7101 specific to any operating systems?

CVE-2023-7101 affects applications using Spreadsheet::ParseExcel across various operating systems, including Debian and Ubuntu.

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