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CVE-2020-27819

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files....

5.5 MediumFix available

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.83%Up 0.2 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.5

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
CVE-2020-27819
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.3 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
CVE-2020-27819
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-20320 No score

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
EUVD-2020-20320
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-fp3r-w9w2-jg2f No score

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files....

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
GHSA-fp3r-w9w2-jg2f
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.5

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
CVE-2020-27819
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVJLSEC-2026-1294 5.5

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
JLSEC-2026-1294
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.3 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-27819 5.5

An issue was discovered in libxls before and including 1.6.1 when reading Microsoft Excel files. A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists when parsing XLS cells in libxls/xls2csv.c:199. It could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via crafted XLS file.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-27819
CVSS 3.1
5.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2021:0812-1 No score

Security update for libxls

This update for libxls fixes the following issues:

libxsl was updated to release 1.6.2:

  • Fix NULL pointer dereferences in the xls2csv tool [boo#1179532] [CVE-2020-27819]

Update to release 1.6.1

  • Enabled decoding of non-Unicode character sets in older (BIFF5) XLS files.
  • Improved string conversion performance in newer files.

update to 1.5.3:

  • Allow truncated XLS files
  • Fix long-standing 'extra column' bug #73
  • Support for RSTRING records (rich-text cells in older BIFF5 files) tidyverse/readxl#611
Record
openSUSE-SU-2021:0812-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11015-1 No score

libxls-devel-1.6.2-2.2 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the libxls-devel-1.6.2-2.2 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11015-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
libxls_jll
Julia
 before 1.6.2+0
1.6.2+0
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
0.1.0-1
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.0.0-1build11.0.0-2
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.3.1-21.3.1-2build1
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.3.1-2build2
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.4.3-1
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:25.10
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.4.5-1
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:26.10
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.4.5-11.5.0-1
 None known
r-cran-readxl
Ubuntu:26.04:LTS
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.4.5-1
 None known
libxls
openSUSE:Leap 15.2
 before 1.6.2-lp152.2.3.1
1.6.2-lp152.2.3.1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, productsEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-27819 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Libxls, published February 23, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.83%, the 57th percentile. Fixed in libxls_jll 1.6.2+0.

References

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