Threats / Spreadsheet::ParseExcel / CVE-2023-7101
CVE-2023-7101
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-09-19
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel vulnerability
Spreadsheet::ParseExcel contains a remote code execution vulnerability through unsafe evaluation of Number format strings from Excel files, allowing arbitrary code execution when processing malicious spreadsheets.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
An attacker can craft a malicious Excel file with specially formatted Number strings that, when parsed by Spreadsheet::ParseExcel, execute arbitrary code on the victim's system. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild.
CISA KEV Yes · 2024-01-025EPSS 0.19106 (verify live)6CVSS 7.8 (CISA)4CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Impact: total4Exploit Weaponized · public exploit · Metasploit module12
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
2 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-01-02).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.19106 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 7.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) · Affected: Spreadsheet::ParseExcel, Spreadsheet::ParseExcel. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CISA-assigned via the ADP container (CVE.org), version 3.1; the CNA left no metrics, so CISA's own score is used ahead of NVD.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-95 Eval Injection — weakness family: Injection.CWE — CNA-assigned (CVE.org); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 9 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
Public exploit available
Public exploit tooling is catalogued for this CVE (a functional/weaponized public exploit). Catalog entries: Metasploit module. We link the catalog page(s) only — no payload or code is hosted or restated here.Link, never host — the catalog page is the source; basicsecurity.net does not redistribute payloads.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
Craft a malicious Excel file embedding code in Number format strings.
Business
Attacker gains arbitrary code execution on systems processing the file.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
Distribute the file via email, file sharing, or compromised websites.
Business
Victim organization's systems become compromised without user awareness of the threat.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
Execute post-exploitation activities including data exfiltration or lateral movement.
Business
Sensitive data is stolen or internal systems are further compromised, escalating business impact.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05
Coverage & confidence
— what we know, and what we don’tEstablished (cited)
Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden
Disclosure & credit2
Catalogued by MandiantCNA
Credited with finding itLe Dinh Hai (https://github.com/haile01/perl_spreadsheet_excel_rce_poc/tree/main)finderBarracuda Networks Inc. https://www.barracuda.com/reporter
Found an error? Propose a correction.
A correction is a cited counter-claim — it must cite a source,
gets reviewed by a second human, and is never auto-applied. See the
correction convention and our identity
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