CVE-2023-38852 Memory corruption in n/a

Medium 6.5 Published 15 Aug 2023 Updated 4 Nov 2025

A buffer overflow in libxlsv allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via a crafted XLS file.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: A user has to click or open something
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2023-38852?

CVE-2023-38852 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 15 Aug 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

Buffer Overflow vulnerability in libxlsv.1.6.2 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and cause a denial of service via a crafted XLS file to the unicode_decode_wcstombs function in xlstool.c:266.

Weakness: CWE-787

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-38852?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Libxls Project Libxls.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38852?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-38852 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.

Is CVE-2023-38852 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-38852 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2023-38852, GHSA-3xcx-j8jr-m5vv, JLSEC-2026-1296, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38852.