dbcve.org
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system · Canonical

CVE-2019-9848

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-07-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
LibreOffice has a feature where documents can specify that pre-installed scripts can be executed on various document events such as mouse-over, etc. LibreOffice is typically also bundled with LibreLogo, a programmable turtle vector graphics script, which can be manipulated into executing arbitrary python commands. By using the document event feature to trigger LibreLogo to execute python contained within a document a malicious document could be constructed which would execute arbitrary python commands silently without warning. In the fixed versions, LibreLogo cannot be called from a document event handler. This issue affects: Document Foundation LibreOffice versions prior to 6.2.5.

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

LibreOffice allows documents to trigger pre-installed scripts via document events (e.g., mouse-over). The bundled LibreLogo component can be manipulated to execute arbitrary Python commands by embedding python code in a document that triggers LibreLogo through the event handler, enabling silent remote code execution without user warning.

MitigationUpdate to LibreOffice 6.2.5 or later where LibreLogo cannot be invoked from document event handlers; alternatively, disable or remove the LibreLogo extension.

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
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 16.04= 18.04= 19.04
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 29= 30
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0
LibreofficeApplication
Affected:< 6.2.5
LeapOperating system
Affected:= 15.0= 15.1

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 installed LibreOffice version
    Run ' libreoffice --version ' or check the package manager (dpkg -r, rpm -q, apt list) for the installed libreoffice package version
    Affected if Version is less than 6.2.5 (e.g., 6.1.x, 6.0.x, 5.x) or the package version matches the vulnerable distribution versions (Ubuntu 16.04/18.04/19.04, Fedora 29/30, Debian 8.0, openSUSE 15.0/15.1)
  2. Locate the LibreLogo extension
    Check for the presence of the LibreLogo component in the LibreOffice installation directory, commonly found under /usr/lib/libreoffice/program/librelogo.py or within the LibreLogo extension directory (look for librelogo*.oxt or librelogo.py)
    Affected if The LibreLogo script file exists in the LibreOffice installation directory, indicating the vulnerable component is present
  3. Verify LibreLogo is enabled
    Open LibreOffice, go to Tools > Extension Manager, or inspect the user profile directory (~/.config/libreoffice//user/extensions) to see if LibreLogo is listed as an active extension
    Affected if LibreLogo appears as an installed or enabled extension in the user's LibreOffice configuration
  4. Confirm document event handler support
    This is a native LibreOffice feature; the vulnerability triggers when a document containing embedded LibreLogo event handlers (e.g., mouse-over) is opened. There is no simple config check - the vulnerability exists if LibreLogo is present and the version is affected
    Affected if The installed LibreOffice version is vulnerable AND LibreLogo component exists in the installation

A system is affected if LibreOffice version is less than 6.2.5 (or matches the listed distribution-specific vulnerable versions) AND the LibreLogo component is present and enabled on the system.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.2.5 or later
Fixed in 6.2.5
Interim mitigation

Update to LibreOffice 6.2.5 or later where LibreLogo cannot be invoked from document event handlers; alternatively, disable or remove the LibreLogo extension.

Recommended fix High confidence

LibreOffice 6.2.5 or later (any modern LibreOffice version includes the fix)

  1. Upgrade LibreOffice to version 6.2.5 or later to remediate this vulnerability
  2. For Ubuntu systems: Run 'sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade' to install the latest LibreOffice package from official repositories, or manually download LibreOffice 6.2.5+ from libreoffice.org
  3. For Fedora systems: Run 'sudo dnf update libreoffice' to apply available security updates
  4. For Debian systems: Consider upgrading to Debian 10+ for newer LibreOffice packages, or manually install LibreOffice 6.2.5+ from official sources
  5. For openSUSE Leap: Check for available updates via 'sudo zypper update' or install LibreOffice 6.2.5+ from the LibreOffice website
  6. After upgrade, verify the version by opening LibreOffice Writer and going to Help > About LibreOffice
Caveat Standard LibreOffice minor version upgrades typically have minimal breaking changes; test critical documents after upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ubuntu Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,392.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-9848 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2019-9848 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data