CVE intelligence and bounded remediation
CVE-2023-7101 — Spreadsheet::ParseExcel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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.
- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Published
- 2023-12-24
- CISA KEV
- Known exploited
- Ecosystem
- software/application
- Weaknesses
- CWE-95, CWE-94
Affected products
- jmcnamara / spreadsheet::parseexcel
- debian / debian_linux / 10.0
- fedoraproject / fedora / 38
- fedoraproject / fedora / 39
Matched remediation archetype
Command, code, expression, and template injection
This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.
Check exposure
- Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
- Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
- Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.
Remediate safely
- Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
- Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
- Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.
Authoritative sources
Complete CVE record and remediation plan
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