CVE-2021-32012

Node.js process crash via excessive XLSX allocation

Published Jul 19, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in SheetJS and SheetJS Pro through 0.16.9 allows attackers to crash Node.js via a crafted .xlsx file. The xlsx.js reader allocates excessive memory while parsing the malformed workbook; public sources do not identify the exact parser routine or malformed workbook structure. Exploitation requires an application or user to pass the attacker-supplied file to the library, and the resulting out-of-memory exception terminates the Node.js process.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.88%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in SheetJS and SheetJS Pro through 0.16.9 allows attackers to crash Node.js via a crafted .xlsx file. The xlsx.js reader allocates excessive memory while parsing the malformed workbook; public sources do not identify the exact parser routine or malformed workbook structure. Exploitation requires an application or user to pass the attacker-supplied file to the library, and the resulting out-of-memory exception terminates the Node.js process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-32012
Published
Jul 19, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 19, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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