How severe is CVE-2013-3159?

CVE-2013-3159 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2013-3159 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 17% (97th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2013-3159?

CVE-2013-3159 primarily affects Microsoft Excel. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2013-3159?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2013-3159 published?

CVE-2013-3159 was published on 2013-09-11 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2013-3159

CVE-2013-3159 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Excel with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 17% places it in the 97th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 17% (97th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Microsoft Excel
Published: 2013-09-11
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Microsoft Excel 2003 SP3, 2007 SP3, and 2010 SP1 and SP2; Excel Viewer; and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack SP3 allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via an XML document containing an external entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue, aka "XML External Entities Resolution Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2013-3159?: Microsoft Excel 2003 SP3, 2007 SP3, and 2010 SP1 and SP2; Excel Viewer; and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack SP3 allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via an XML document containing an external entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue, aka "XML External Entities Resolution Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2013-3159?: CVE-2013-3159 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.3, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2013-3159 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 17% (97th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2013-3159?: CVE-2013-3159 primarily affects Microsoft Excel. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2013-3159?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2013-3159 published?: CVE-2013-3159 was published on 2013-09-11 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2003:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2007:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2010:sp1:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2010:sp1:*:*:*:x86:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2010:sp2:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:excel:2010:sp2:*:*:*:x86:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel

CVE-2008-0081 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Excel 2000 SP3 through 2003 SP2, Viewer 2003, and Office 2004 for Mac allows…
CVE-2015-6177 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Excel Viewer allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2015-6122 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel for Mac 2011, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Excel Viewer allow…
CVE-2015-6040 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel for Mac 2011, Excel 2016 for Mac, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and…
CVE-2015-6094 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Microsoft Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Excel for Mac 2011, Excel 2016 for Mac, and…
CVE-2015-6038 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Excel for Mac 2011, Excel 2016…

All CVEs affecting Microsoft Excel →

Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48281 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48277 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48055 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Streambert is a cross-platform Electron Desktop App to stream and download any video media. In versions 2.4.0 and…
CVE-2026-34910 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the network could exploit an Improper Input Validation vulnerability found in UniFi OS…
CVE-2026-33587 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and…

Browse all CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities →