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Ubuntu LinuxOperating system · Canonical

CVE-2019-9850

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-08-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.6 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 is typically bundled with LibreLogo, a programmable turtle vector graphics script, which can execute arbitrary python commands contained with the document it is launched from. LibreOffice also has a feature where documents can specify that pre-installed scripts can be executed on various document script events such as mouse-over, etc. Protection was added, to address CVE-2019-9848, to block calling LibreLogo from script event handers. However an insufficient url validation vulnerability in LibreOffice allowed malicious to bypass that protection and again trigger calling LibreLogo from script event handlers. This issue affects: Document Foundation LibreOffice versions prior to 6.2.6.

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 contains an insufficient URL validation vulnerability that allows bypassing protection (CVE-2019-9848) against calling LibreLogo from script event handlers. Attackers can craft malicious documents that execute arbitrary Python code via LibreLogo when users open the document or trigger script events like mouse-over, leading to remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate to LibreOffice 6.2.6 or later to patch the insufficient URL validation. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling LibreLogo or restricting script execution capabilities as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0= 9.0= 10.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 29= 30
LeapOperating system
Affected:= 15.0= 15.1
LibreofficeApplication
Affected:< 6.2.6

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. Check installed LibreOffice version
    Run 'libreoffice --version' or 'soffice --version' to get the exact version number. Compare it against the affected range: versions prior to 6.2.6 are vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 6.2.6 (e.g., 6.2.5, 6.1.x, 6.0.x, etc.)
  2. Identify LibreLogo availability
    LibreLogo is a macro-enabled component. Check if the LibreLogo toolbar or extension is present by opening LibreOffice Writer, going to View > Toolbars, or look for LibreLogo in the macro library locations.
    Affected if LibreLogo is enabled or available in the installation and the version is below 6.2.6
  3. Verify macro execution settings
    Check the macro security settings in LibreOffice via Tools > Options > Security > Macro Security. Documents exploiting this vulnerability can trigger LibreLogo scripts automatically.
    Affected if Macro security is set to Medium or Low, allowing automatic script execution on document open or events
  4. Inspect document for suspicious macros
    If you have received a document from an untrusted source, inspect its macros: in LibreOffice, go to Tools > Macros > Organize Macros > LibreOffice Basic, or examine the document package as a ZIP archive for embedded scripts.
    Affected if The document contains LibreLogo or Python scripts in event handler bindings that could execute arbitrary code

You are affected if LibreOffice version is below 6.2.6 AND LibreLogo is available/enabled, particularly if opening documents from untrusted sources is common.

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 6.2.6 or later
Fixed in 6.2.6
Interim mitigation

Update to LibreOffice 6.2.6 or later to patch the insufficient URL validation. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling LibreLogo or restricting script execution capabilities as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

LibreOffice 6.2.6 or later (or distribution-provided patches for versions 6.2.x, 6.3.x, 6.4.x that include the fix)

  1. Update your system's package repository to ensure you have the latest package lists
  2. Apply the LibreOffice update through your system's package manager: For Ubuntu/Debian: 'sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade libreoffice'
  3. For Fedora: 'sudo dnf update libreoffice'
  4. For openSUSE Leap: 'sudo zypper update libreoffice'
  5. After updating, verify the installed LibreOffice version is 6.2.6 or later by opening LibreOffice and going to Help > About LibreOffice
  6. Alternatively, verify via command line: 'libreoffice --version'
Caveat Standard upgrade considerations apply - ensure compatibility with existing documents and any macro-dependent workflows; minor interface changes may occur between major versions

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

Fix this in Ubuntu Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2019-9850 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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