# CVE-2019-9853: Insufficient URL decoding flaw in categorizing macro location

> Insufficient URL decoding allows attackers to bypass macro security settings in LibreOffice, enabling arbitrary macro execution.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Sep 2019
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2019-9853, GHSA-52vw-wff4-8w2j, SUSE-SU-2020:0121-1, SUSE-SU-2020:0372-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-9853, openSUSE-SU-2019:2709-1

## What is CVE-2019-9853?

CVE-2019-9853 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libreoffice Libreoffice, published on 27 Sep 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

LibreOffice documents can contain macros. The execution of those macros is controlled by the document security settings, typically execution of macros are blocked by default. A URL decoding flaw existed in how the urls to the macros within the document were processed and categorized, resulting in the possibility to construct a document where macro execution bypassed the security settings. The documents were correctly detected as containing macros, and prompted the user to their existence within the documents, but macros within the document were subsequently not controlled by the security settings allowing arbitrary macro execution This issue affects: LibreOffice 6.2 series versions prior to 6.2.7; LibreOffice 6.3 series versions prior to 6.3.1.

Weakness: CWE-116 (Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-9853?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `cmis-client` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.5.2-9.3.1 |
| `gperf` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 3.1-19.4.1 |
| `libixion` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.15.0-13.12.1 |
| `libmwaw` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.3.15-7.15.1 |
| `liborcus` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.15.3-10.15.1 |
| `libreoffice` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP4 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-43.59.5 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `cmis-client` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.5.2-9.3.1 |
| `gperf` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 3.1-19.4.1 |
| `libixion` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.15.0-13.12.1 |
| `libmwaw` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.3.15-7.15.1 |
| `liborcus` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.15.3-10.15.1 |
| `libreoffice` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-43.59.5 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `cmis-client` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.5.2-9.3.1 |
| `libixion` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.15.0-13.12.1 |
| `libmwaw` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.3.15-7.15.1 |
| `liborcus` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.15.3-10.15.1 |
| `libreoffice` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-43.59.5 |
| `myspell-dictionaries` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP4 | All versions | 20191016-16.21.1 |
| `bluez` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 5.13-5.20.6 |
| `cmis-client` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.5.2-9.3.1 |
| `libixion` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.15.0-13.12.1 |
| `libmwaw` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.3.15-7.15.1 |
| `liborcus` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.15.3-10.15.1 |
| `libreoffice` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-43.59.5 |
| `myspell-dictionaries` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP5 | All versions | 20191016-16.21.1 |
| `libreoffice` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP1 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-8.13.1 |
| `cmis-client` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 0.5.2-lp151.3.3.1 |
| `libixion` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 0.15.0-lp151.4.6.1 |
| `libmwaw` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 0.3.15-lp151.2.3.1 |
| `liborcus` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 0.15.3-lp151.3.6.1 |
| `libreoffice` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 6.3.3.2-lp151.3.9.1 |
| `mdds-1_5` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 1.5.0-lp151.2.1 |
| `myspell-dictionaries` | openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | All versions | 20191016-lp151.2.6.1 |

Products: Libreoffice Libreoffice.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-9853?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-9853 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-9853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Libreoffice Libreoffice

- [CVE-2024-5261](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5261/): TLS certificate are not properly verified when utilizing LibreOfficeKit (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-9855](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9855/): Windows 8.3 path equivalence handling flaw allows LibreLogo script execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-14939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14939/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-8358](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8358/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-7882](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7882/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-9853 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-9853 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libreoffice Libreoffice, published on 27 Sep 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-9853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Libreoffice Libreoffice. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9853/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9853/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-9853
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9853
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-9853

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9853/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.