CVE-2018-20452 json
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 cr…
published 2018-12-25 7 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-13007
- cvss
- 8.8
- version 3.0, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 1.5%
- EPSS 1.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 74%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
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.
Patch / fix
- r-cran-readxl Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 1.2.0.9000-1
debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2018-20452
Exploit prediction
1.50% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 74% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
Exploits and checks
- github.com https://github.com/evanmiller/libxls/issues/35 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVD | 3.0 | 8.8 | CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVD | 2.0 | 6.8 | AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P |
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
References
-
github.com
/evanmiller/libxls/issues/35
exploit, third-party-advisory
-
security.gentoo.org
/glsa/202003-64
vendor-advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2018-20452
- NVD CVE-2018-20452
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