Description
The read_MSAT_body function in ole.c in libxls 1.4.0 has an invalid free that allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted file, because of inconsistent memory management (new versus free) in ole2_read_header in ole.c.
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 | 1.2.0.9000-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | r-cran-readxl | 1.2.0.9000-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | r-cran-readxl | 1.2.0.9000-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | r-cran-readxl | No fix yet | — |
References
- https://github.com/evanmiller/libxls/issues/35
- GLSA-202003-64 vendor-advisory