CVE-2023-7101
Douglas Wilson Spreadsheet::ParseExcel, jmcnamara spreadsheet\, debian_linux
Published 24 Dec 2023 · updated 17 Jun 2026 · Analyzed
Exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2 Jan 2024, with a remediation deadline of 23 Jan 2024 for US federal agencies.
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
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.
References
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/29/4 · Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/blob/c7298592e102a375d43150cd002feed806557c15/lib/Spreadsheet/ParseExcel/Utility.pm#L171 · Product
- github.com/mandiant/Vulnerability-Disclosures/blob/master/2023/MNDT-2023-0019.md · Third Party Advisory
- https//github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_poc · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- https//github.com/jmcnamara/spreadsheet-parseexcel/commit/bd3159277e745468e2c553417b35d5d7dc7405bc · Broken Link, Patch
- https//metacpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel · Broken Link, Product
- https//www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-7101 · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00025.html · Mailing List
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IFEHKULQRVXHIV7XXK2RGD4VQN6Y4CV5/ · Broken Link, Mailing List
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/M2FIWDHRYTAAQLGM6AFOZVM7AFZ4H2ZR/ · Broken Link, Mailing List
- security.metacpan.org/2024/02/10/vulnerable-spreadsheet-parsing-modules.html · Third Party Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-7101 · US Government Resource