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Vulnerability DatabaseCVE-2023-38852

CVE-2023-38852: 
NixOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

A Buffer Overflow vulnerability was discovered in libxls version 1.6.2, identified as CVE-2023-38852. The vulnerability affects the unicode_decode_wcstombs function in xlstool.c at line 266, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code and cause a denial of service through a crafted XLS file (NVD).

Technical details

The vulnerability is classified as a heap buffer overflow with a CVSS v3.1 Base Score of 6.5 (Medium). The issue occurs in the unicode_decode_wcstombs function when processing crafted XLS files, potentially leading to memory corruption. The vulnerability specifically manifests in xlstool.c:266, where improper boundary checking allows for buffer overflow conditions (Github Issue).

Impact

When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution and denial of service conditions. The attack requires user interaction as it needs a crafted XLS file to be processed by the affected application (NVD).

Mitigation and workarounds

Security updates have been released to address this vulnerability. Fedora has released patches in versions libxls-1.6.2-14.fc39 and libxls-1.6.2-14.fc38. Users are advised to upgrade to the patched versions (Fedora Update).

Additional resources

Source: This report was generated using AI

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