Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2024-38734

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-07-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
97/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in SpreadsheetConverter Import Spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel allows Code Injection.This issue affects Import Spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel: from n/a through 10.1.4.

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

This is an unrestricted file upload vulnerability in SpreadsheetConverter's Excel import feature (versions through 10.1.4). The application accepts uploaded files without proper validation of file type/extension, allowing attackers to upload malicious files (e.g., web shells) that can be executed for code injection/remote code execution.

MitigationImplement strict whitelist-based file validation using both magic number detection and extension checking, store uploads outside the webroot with no execute permissions, and rename files server-side before storage.

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

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 SpreadsheetConverter installation
    Locate the SpreadsheetConverter application on your system. Check for its installation directory, dependencies, or if it's part of a web application using this library.
    Affected if SpreadsheetConverter is installed and the Excel import feature is in use
  2. Determine installed version
    Check the SpreadsheetConverter version number in your installation (typically found in version info, metadata files, or product documentation).
    Affected if The installed version is 10.1.4 or any earlier version through the product line
  3. Verify Excel import feature is enabled
    Confirm that the Excel import/upload functionality is active in your deployment. Check application configuration or feature flags.
    Affected if Excel import feature is enabled and accepts file uploads from users
  4. Inspect upload handling code or configuration
    Review the file upload handling implementation for the Excel import feature. Look for file type validation, extension checking, or content-type validation logic.
    Affected if No file type/extension validation exists, or validation can be bypassed (e.g., only checks extension without verifying content)
  5. Check uploaded file storage location
    Identify where uploaded files are stored. Determine if they are accessible via web server or stored within the webroot.
    Affected if Uploaded files are stored within the webroot or in a location accessible via HTTP/HTTPS

You are affected if SpreadsheetConverter version 10.1.4 or earlier is installed with the Excel import feature enabled, and the upload handling lacks proper file type/extension validation or stores files in an accessible location.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict whitelist-based file validation using both magic number detection and extension checking, store uploads outside the webroot with no execute permissions, and rename files server-side before storage.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get help mitigating

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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-38734 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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-2024-38734 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data