{"id":49487,"date":"2025-06-07T18:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T18:49:08","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-09-14T19:05:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T01:05:41","slug":"cve-2024-48877-high-severity-heap-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-in-xls2csv-utility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2024-48877-high-severity-heap-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-in-xls2csv-utility\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2024-48877: High-Severity Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in xls2csv Utility<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the emergence of new vulnerabilities becomes inevitable. One such vulnerability, CVE-2024-48877, has been identified as a significant threat to the xls2csv utility. This software utility, used for converting Excel files to Comma-separated values (CSV), is widely used in data processing and management<\/a>. With a high CVSS Severity Score of 8.4, this vulnerability has the potential to compromise systems<\/a> and leak sensitive data.
\nThe vulnerability originates from a memory corruption<\/a> issue in the Shared String Table Record Parser implementation in xls2csv utility version 0.95. This risk could potentially impact a broad range of sectors, notably those reliant on data processing<\/a> and transformation. Understanding and mitigating this vulnerability is crucial for all organizations<\/a> that leverage this utility in their operations.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2024-48877
\nSeverity: High (8.4 CVSS Score)
\nAttack Vector: Local File<\/a>
\nPrivileges Required: User Level
\nUser Interaction: Required
\nImpact: System compromise and potential data leakage<\/a><\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

xls2csv | 0.95<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability is rooted in a memory corruption<\/a> issue within the Shared String Table Record Parser implementation of the xls2csv utility. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malformed file that causes a heap buffer<\/a> overflow when processed by the xls2csv utility. This overflow can subsequently be used to execute arbitrary code<\/a> or manipulate the behavior of the system, potentially leading to total system compromise or data leakage.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following is a conceptual illustration of how this exploit could theoretically be performed:<\/p>\n

# Malicious user creates a specially crafted file\necho \"malformed_data\" > malformed_file.xls\n# User tricks the target into running the xls2csv utility on the malformed file\nxls2csv malformed_file.xls > output.csv<\/code><\/pre>\n
In this example, `malformed_data` represents the crafted data that would cause a heap buffer overflow<\/a> when the xls2csv utility attempts to parse it. This example is highly simplified and the actual exploit would likely involve much more complex manipulation of the file<\/a> contents.<\/p>\n
Mitigation Guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor-provided patch immediately. If a patch is not yet available or cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as a temporary measure. These tools can detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability<\/a>, providing a layer of protection until the patch can be applied. As always, users should remain vigilant and practice good cybersecurity hygiene, such as avoiding untrusted files and regularly updating their software<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the emergence of new vulnerabilities becomes inevitable. One such vulnerability, CVE-2024-48877, has been identified as a significant threat to the xls2csv utility. This software utility, used for converting Excel files to Comma-separated values (CSV), is widely used in data processing and management. With a high […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[86],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-49487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","attack_vector-buffer-overflow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t