CVE-2020-27819

Name: CVE-2020-27819
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-02-23T04:15:13.883+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.83%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-27819 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. 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. EPSS estimates a 0.83% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.83%

52.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Libxls Project	Libxls	< 1.6.2

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1903296Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1903296Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 23, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-27819?

How severe is CVE-2020-27819?

CVE-2020-27819 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.83% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27819?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-27819?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST