CVE-2023-7101
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 23 January 2024). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
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.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 18.96% probability · 97th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Listed 2 January 2024 · due 23 January 2024
- Weakness
- CWE-95, CWE-94
- Affected
- jmcnamara/spreadsheet\ · debian/debian linux · fedoraproject/fedora
- Source
- mandiant-cve@google.com
EPSS 19.0% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. This vulnerability affects a common open-source component, third-party library, or a protocol used by different products. Please check with specific vendors for information on patching status. For more information, please see: https://metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel and Barracuda's specific implementation and fix for their downstream issue CVE-2023-7102 at https://www.barracuda.com/company/legal/esg-vulnerability; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-7101
References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/29/4Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/blob/c7298592e102a375d43150cd002feed806557c15/lib/Spreadsheet/ParseExcel/Utility.pm#L171Product
- https://github.com/mandiant/Vulnerability-Disclosures/blob/master/2023/MNDT-2023-0019.mdThird Party Advisory
- https://https://github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_pocBroken Link, Third Party Advisory
- https://https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/commit/bd3159277e745468e2c553417b35d5d7dc7405bcBroken Link, Patch
- https://https://metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcelBroken Link, Product
- https://https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-7101Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00025.htmlMailing List
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IFEHKULQRVXHIV7XXK2RGD4VQN6Y4CV5/Broken Link, Mailing List
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/M2FIWDHRYTAAQLGM6AFOZVM7AFZ4H2ZR/Broken Link, Mailing List
- https://security.metacpan.org/2024/02/10/vulnerable-spreadsheet-parsing-modules.htmlThird Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/29/4Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/blob/c7298592e102a375d43150cd002feed806557c15/lib/Spreadsheet/ParseExcel/Utility.pm#L171Product
- https://github.com/mandiant/Vulnerability-Disclosures/blob/master/2023/MNDT-2023-0019.mdThird Party Advisory
- https://https://github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_pocBroken Link, Third Party Advisory
- https://https://github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/commit/bd3159277e745468e2c553417b35d5d7dc7405bcBroken Link, Patch
- https://https://metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcelBroken Link, Product
- https://https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-7101Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00025.htmlMailing List
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IFEHKULQRVXHIV7XXK2RGD4VQN6Y4CV5/Broken Link, Mailing List
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/M2FIWDHRYTAAQLGM6AFOZVM7AFZ4H2ZR/Broken Link, Mailing List
- https://security.metacpan.org/2024/02/10/vulnerable-spreadsheet-parsing-modules.htmlThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-7101US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.