Description
An exploitable integer overflow vulnerability exists in the xls_preparseWorkSheet function of libxls 1.4 when handling a MULBLANK record. A specially crafted XLS file can cause a memory corruption resulting in remote code execution. An attacker can send malicious XLS file to trigger this vulnerability.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| libxls | libxls | 1.4 readxl package 1.0.0 for R (tested using Microsoft R 4.3.1) | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | r-cran-readxl | 1.0.0-2 | — |
| Debian 13 | r-cran-readxl | 1.0.0-2 | — |
| Debian 12 | r-cran-readxl | 1.0.0-2 | — |
| Debian 9 | r-cran-readxl | 0.1.1-1+deb9u1 | DSA-4173-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- DSA-4173-1 r-cran-readxl - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026