CVE-2014-9527: Poi Loop With Unreachable Exit Condition Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x9mm-6gpf-f749
Share
CWE-835
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-9527 is a MODERATE loop with unreachable exit condition vulnerability (CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')) affecting Poi libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves loop with unreachable exit condition in apache poi. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.11.

CVE-2014-9527 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-9527
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x9mm-6gpf-f749
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Affected Product Poi
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2014-9527

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: 3.11 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.poi</groupId>
    <artifactId>poi</artifactId>
    <version>3.11</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-2014-9527, 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 3.11), 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

HSLFSlideShow in Apache POI before 3.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and deadlock) via a crafted PPT file.

CVE-2014-9527 Affected Poi Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.poi:poi
maven/org.apache.poi/poi
Maven
< 3.11
3.11

References

NVD — CVE-2014-9527 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-9527
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2016:11... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1135
issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.c... WEB
https://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=57272
lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-a... WEB
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2015-February/150228.html
Poi Security Information SECURITY
http://poi.apache.org/changes.html
secunia.com/advisories/61953 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/61953
www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss WEB
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21996759

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-9527?
CVE-2014-9527 is a security vulnerability in Poi involving Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition in Apache POI under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop').
Which Poi versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.11 across affected packages: org.apache.poi:poi.
What version fixes CVE-2014-9527?
Upgrading to 3.11 (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 3.11. Upgrade your dependency to 3.11 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-9527?
CVE-2014-9527 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-2014-9527?
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-x9mm-6gpf-f749",
  "modified" : "2022-07-06T20:59:38Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T03:00:44Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-9527" ],
  "summary" : "Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition in Apache POI",
  "details" : "HSLFSlideShow in Apache POI before 3.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and deadlock) via a crafted PPT file.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.poi:poi"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-9527"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016:1135"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=57272"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2015-February/150228.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://poi.apache.org/changes.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/61953"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21996759"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-835" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-06T20:59:38Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2015-01-06T15:59:00Z"
  }
}