dbcve.org
LibgsfApplication · Gnome

CVE-2024-42415

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
An integer overflow vulnerability exists in the Compound Document Binary File format parser of v1.14.52 of the GNOME Project G Structured File Library (libgsf). A specially crafted file can result in an integer overflow that allows for a heap-based buffer overflow when processing the sector allocation table. This can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

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

Integer overflow in libgsf's Compound Document Binary File parser (v1.14.52) allows heap-based buffer overflow when processing the sector allocation table. The vulnerability is triggered by a specially crafted malicious file, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate libgsf to the latest patched version. If patching is not immediately possible, validate and sanitize Compound Document files before processing, or disable parsing of untrusted .doc, .xls, and .ppt files in applications using libgsf.

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
LibgsfApplication
Affected:= 1.14.52

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 libgsf version
    Run 'pkg-config --modversion libgsf-1' or 'dpkg -l libgsf-1.14-52' (Debian) or 'rpm -q libgsf' (RHEL) to query the installed libgsf library version
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 1.14.52
  2. Check if libgsf library is present
    Search for libgsf shared library with 'find /usr -name "libgsf*" 2>/dev/null' or check common library paths
    Affected if libgsf library files exist on the system and are in use by applications
  3. Identify applications using libgsf
    Use 'ldd $(which application)' or check application dependencies to find programs that link against libgsf, particularly office productivity tools or document converters
    Affected if Applications that process .doc, .xls, or .ppt files are using libgsf for parsing
  4. Check for untrusted file processing
    Review application logs, file access patterns, or user workflows to determine if libgsf-based applications are opening Compound Document files from untrusted or external sources
    Affected if Users or automated processes are opening untrusted or user-submitted .doc, .xls, or .ppt files through libgsf-enabled applications

A user is affected if libgsf version 1.14.52 is installed AND applications using libgsf are processing untrusted or user-submitted Compound Document files (.doc, .xls, .ppt).

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

Update libgsf to the latest patched version. If patching is not immediately possible, validate and sanitize Compound Document files before processing, or disable parsing of untrusted .doc, .xls, and .ppt files in applications using libgsf.

Recommended fix High confidence

libgsf 1.14.53 or later stable release

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of libgsf using 'dpkg -l | grep libgsf' (Debian) or 'rpm -qa | grep libgsf' (RHEL-based)
  2. 2. Update package repositories to ensure latest metadata is available
  3. 3. Upgrade libgsf package using system package manager: 'apt-get update && apt-get install libgsf-1-44' (Debian) or 'dnf update libgsf' (Fedora/RHEL)
  4. 4. Verify the new version is installed: 'gsf --version' or check package version again
  5. 5. If building from source, download the latest libgsf release from gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgsf and rebuild
  6. 6. Test applications that depend on libgsf to ensure functionality
Caveat Minimal risk - libgsf is a mature library with stable API; patch releases typically contain bug fixes without API changes

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

Fix this in Libgsf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-42415 — 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-2024-42415 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