CVE-2017-12626: Poi Denial of Service Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-523c-xh4g-mh5m
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-835
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-12626 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')) affecting Poi libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves denial of service in apache poi. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.17.

CVE-2017-12626 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-12626
GHSA Identifier GHSA-523c-xh4g-mh5m
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Affected Product Poi
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2017-12626

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Poi dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.poi:poi fixed: 3.17 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.poi</groupId>
    <artifactId>poi</artifactId>
    <version>3.17</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.poi

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-12626, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.poi

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Poi in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.17), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.poi command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop'), where the product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop. In Poi, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Apache POI in versions prior to release 3.17 are vulnerable to Denial of Service Attacks: - Infinite Loops while parsing crafted WMF, EMF, MSG and macros (POI bugs 61338 and 61294) - Out of Memory Exceptions while parsing crafted DOC, PPT and XLS (POI bugs 52372 and 61295)

CVE-2017-12626 Affected Poi Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.17
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.poi:poi
maven/org.apache.poi/poi
Maven
< 3.17
3.17

References

Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102879
NVD — CVE-2017-12626 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12626
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:13... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1322
Poi Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/poi
lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af5dbabaccd9afb58d27279a9dbfe8e35f4e5ea1645ddd6960b%40%3Cdev.poi.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af5dbabaccd9afb58d27279a9dbfe8e35f4e5ea1645ddd6960b@%3Cdev.poi.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d941... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d941... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451@%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E
Poi Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-12626?
CVE-2017-12626 is a security vulnerability in Poi involving Denial of Service in Apache POI under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop').
Which Poi versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.17 across affected packages: org.apache.poi:poi.
What version fixes CVE-2017-12626?
Upgrading to 3.17 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is poi affected?
Yes, org.apache.poi:poi is affected in releases prior to 3.17. Upgrade your dependency to 3.17 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-12626?
CVE-2017-12626 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-12626?
CVE-2017-12626 is classified under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') (The product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2017-12626?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.poi'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-523c-xh4g-mh5m",
  "modified" : "2026-06-09T10:20:57Z",
  "published" : "2021-01-14T19:18:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-12626" ],
  "summary" : "Denial of Service in Apache POI",
  "details" : "Apache POI in versions prior to release 3.17 are vulnerable to Denial of Service Attacks:\n  - Infinite Loops while parsing crafted WMF, EMF, MSG and macros (POI bugs 61338 and 61294)\n  - Out of Memory Exceptions while parsing crafted DOC, PPT and XLS (POI bugs 52372 and 61295)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.poi:poi"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.17"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12626"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1322"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/poi"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af5dbabaccd9afb58d27279a9dbfe8e35f4e5ea1645ddd6960b%40%3Cdev.poi.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/453d9af5dbabaccd9afb58d27279a9dbfe8e35f4e5ea1645ddd6960b@%3Cdev.poi.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451@%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102879"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-835" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-11-06T18:56:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-01-29T17:29:00Z"
  }
}