CVE-2025-31672: Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache POI. The issue affects the parsing of OOXML format files like xlsx, docx and pptx. These file format...

Description

Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache POI. The issue affects the parsing of OOXML format files like xlsx, docx and pptx. These file formats are basically zip files and it is possible for malicious users to add zip entries with duplicate names (including the path) in the zip. In this case, products reading the affected file could read different data because 1 of the zip entries with the duplicate name is selected over another but different products may choose a different zip entry. This issue affects Apache POI poi-ooxml before 5.4.0. poi-ooxml 5.4.0 has a check that throws an exception if zip entries with duplicate file names are found in the input file. Users are recommended to upgrade to version poi-ooxml 5.4.0, which fixes the issue. Please read https://poi.apache.org/security.html for recommendations about how to use the POI libraries securely.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.15%

62.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Apache	Poi	< 5.4.0
Netapp	Active Iq Unified Manager	All versions

References

https://bz.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=69620Permissions Required
https://lists.apache.org/thread/k14w8vcjqy4h34hh5kzldko78kpylkq5Mailing List, Vendor Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/04/08/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250523-0004/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 9, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-31672?

Improper Input Validation vulnerability in Apache POI. The issue affects the parsing of OOXML format files like xlsx, docx and pptx. These file formats are basically zip files and it is possible for malicious users to add zip entries with duplicate names (including the path) in the zip. In this case, products reading the affected file could read different data because 1 of the zip entries with the duplicate name is selected over another but different products may choose a different zip entry. This issue affects Apache POI poi-ooxml before 5.4.0. poi-ooxml 5.4.0 has a check that throws an exception if zip entries with duplicate file names are found in the input file. Users are recommended to upgrade to version poi-ooxml 5.4.0, which fixes the issue. Please read https://poi.apache.org/security.html for recommendations about how to use the POI libraries securely.

How severe is CVE-2025-31672?

CVE-2025-31672 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-31672?

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.