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PoiApplication · Apache

CVE-2012-0213

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-08-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 3.8 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The UnhandledDataStructure function in hwpf/model/UnhandledDataStructure.java in Apache POI 3.8 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (OutOfMemoryError exception and possibly JVM destabilization) via a crafted length value in a Channel Definition Format (CDF) or Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) document.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Apache POI 3.8 and earlier contains a denial of service vulnerability in the UnhandledDataStructure function within hwpf/model/UnhandledDataStructure.java. When parsing specially crafted Channel Definition Format (CDF) or Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) documents containing malicious length values, the parser attempts to allocate excessive memory, triggering an OutOfMemoryError that can destabilize the JVM.

MitigationUpgrade Apache POI to version 3.9 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. As a defense-in-depth measure, implement input validation on document length fields before parsing and consider imposing memory limits on document processing operations.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
PoiApplication
Affected:<= 3.8= 0.1= 0.2= 0.3= 0.4= 0.5= 0.6= 0.7= 0.10.0= 0.11.0= 0.12.0= 0.13.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache POI version in use
    Check the poi JAR file name in your classpath or dependencies (pom.xml, build.gradle, lib folder). The version is typically in the filename like poi-3.8.jar or in your dependency management file.
    Affected if The installed version is 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.10.0, 0.11.0, 0.12.0, 0.13.0, or any version through 3.8 inclusive.
  2. Confirm the vulnerable class is present
    Inspect your deployed Apache POI library for the file hwpf/model/UnhandledDataStructure.class. This class contains the vulnerable UnhandledDataStructure function.
    Affected if This class exists in your classpath, indicating the vulnerable code is present.
  3. Determine if CDF or CFBF document parsing is performed
    Review your application code to identify if it parses Channel Definition Format (CDF) or Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) files using Apache POI. Look for HWPF (org.apache.poi.hwpf) usage or calls to open .doc files.
    Affected if Your application parses .doc files or other CDF/CFBF documents using Apache POI, which triggers the vulnerable code path.
  4. Check Java memory configuration during document processing
    Monitor your application's memory usage when processing documents. An OutOfMemoryError during document parsing may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.
    Affected if The application experiences OutOfMemoryError exceptions when processing untrusted .doc or CDF/CFBF documents.

You are affected if Apache POI version 0.1 through 3.8 is deployed and your application parses CDF or CFBF documents using this library.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 3.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache POI to version 3.9 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. As a defense-in-depth measure, implement input validation on document length fields before parsing and consider imposing memory limits on document processing operations.

Fix this in Poi Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,340
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,144.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0213 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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