CVE-2012-0213: Denial of Service in Apache POI

org.apache.poi:poi Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

04/05/2022

Disclosed on

CVE-2012-0213

CVE

Yes i

Fix available

Moderate

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

CVE-2012-0213: Denial of Service in Apache POI. Affects org.apache.poi:poi versions < 3.10-beta1. Fixed in 3.10-beta1. How to fix ↓

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Background

Apache POI is a Java library that provides support for reading and writing Microsoft Office file formats, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It is widely used in various applications for manipulating Office documents. However, versions 3.8 and earlier of Apache POI are vulnerable to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2012-0213, exists in the UnhandledDataStructure function within the hwpf/model/UnhandledDataStructure.java file of Apache POI. It allows remote attackers to trigger an OutOfMemoryError exception and potentially destabilize the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) by exploiting a crafted length value in a Channel Definition Format (CDF) or Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) document. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely, leading to a DoS condition and potential disruption of the affected application.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

3.10-beta1

This is the first release that contains the fix.

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Workaround

There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is essential to apply the recommended fix by upgrading to a secure version of Apache POI.

Conclusion

The vulnerability in Apache POI versions 3.8 and earlier can lead to a Denial of Service condition and potential JVM destabilization. It is crucial to upgrade to Apache POI version 3.9 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. For additional assistance with vulnerability remediation, please reach out to DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for org.apache.poi:poi →