CVE-2019-9853 : Security Advisory and Response

LibreOffice documents had a vulnerability that allowed macro execution to bypass security settings, affecting versions prior to 6.2.7 and 6.3.1.

Understanding CVE-2019-9853

What is CVE-2019-9853?

LibreOffice documents had a flaw in processing URLs associated with macros, enabling unrestricted macro execution.

The Impact of CVE-2019-9853

The vulnerability allowed malicious actors to create documents where macro execution bypassed security settings, posing a risk to users.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-9853

Vulnerability Description

A URL decoding flaw in LibreOffice allowed for the creation of documents where macro execution could bypass security settings.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions prior to 6.2.7 in the LibreOffice 6.2 series
Versions prior to 6.3.1 in the LibreOffice 6.3 series

Exploitation Mechanism

Macros in documents were not controlled by security settings, enabling arbitrary macro execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update LibreOffice to versions 6.2.7 or 6.3.1 to mitigate the vulnerability
Exercise caution when opening documents from untrusted sources

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest versions
Educate users on safe document handling practices

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and apply patches promptly