Ubuntu USN-8838-1 Fixes catdoc Vulnerabilities
Tech GuruQuick Answer
USN-8838-1 fixes catdoc parsing errors in malformed Office files: spreadsheet shared-string tables, document allocation tables and sector-size handling. Ubuntu says these issues could crash the parser or allow code execution. Look for automated extraction jobs, not only users who launch catdoc manually.
Confirm Scope And Apply The Supported Fix
What to do now: update the installed catdoc binary package for the matching Ubuntu release. Include applications or job images that invoke it to extract uploaded Office documents, then verify normal document and spreadsheet extraction without using hostile samples on production.
Last verified: October 2, 2026 UTC against Ubuntu's notice. No catdoc process or crafted file was executed.
Scope And Authority
| Product scope | catdoc vulnerabilities on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (noble), Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (jammy), Ubuntu 20.04 ESM (focal), Ubuntu 18.04 ESM (bionic), Ubuntu 16.04 ESM (xenial) |
|---|---|
| Advisory | USN-8838-1 |
| CVEs | CVE-2024-48877, CVE-2024-52035, CVE-2024-54028 |
| Authoritative release date | 2026-09-28 15:01:41.042816 UTC |
| Authority revision date | No separate material revision date is stated by Ubuntu; verified against the first-party notice API. |
| Affected versions | The Ubuntu releases and source packages enumerated in USN-8838-1: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (noble), Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (jammy), Ubuntu 20.04 ESM (focal), Ubuntu 18.04 ESM (bionic), Ubuntu 16.04 ESM (xenial). |
| Fixed version | bionic: catdoc 1:0.95-4.1ubuntu0.18.04.1~esm1 / focal: catdoc 1:0.95-4.1ubuntu0.20.04.1~esm1 / jammy: catdoc 1:0.95-5ubuntu0.22.04.1~esm1 / noble: catdoc 1:0.95-5ubuntu0.24.04.1~esm1 / xenial: catdoc 1:0.94.3~git20160113.dbc9ec6+dfsg-1+deb9u1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
| CVSS base score | Not provided by the authority |
| CVSS severity | Not provided by the authority |
| Exploitation status | Not stated by the authority; no exploitation claim is inferred. |
What Changed
Several security issues were fixed in catdoc. In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.
What To Validate Now
- Locate callers. Identify document-indexing jobs and applications using catdoc, their package/image version and the source of input files.
- Apply the release-matched build. Use the table and supported Ubuntu/ESM repository. Do not substitute an upstream version comparison for Ubuntu backport status.
- Exercise normal input. Compare extracted text and exit behavior for known-good documents and spreadsheets through the actual caller. Restart persistent jobs or rebuild images where necessary.
- Record the boundary. Retain package provenance, sample identity and expected output. Restrict untrusted file handling while an affected copy remains; an ordinary-file test is a regression check, not exploit resistance proof.
Operational Cautions
Some listed fixes are delivered through Ubuntu Pro or ESM. Confirm entitlement and repository state before the change, use the exact supported release stream, and test dependent services, clusters, and rollback. Severity alone is not evidence of exploitation.
Evidence To Retain
- Exact product, release stream, package or application version, enabled feature, environment, and accountable owner.
- UTC timestamps, authority revision, approved change record, installer or package-manager output, and resulting version.
- Relevant logs and monitoring evidence, test results, exceptions, compensating controls, and rollback decisions.
Related TechGeeks Resources
Authoritative References
Correction policy: If the authority changes affected versions, fixed versions, severity, exploitation information, mitigations, or required action, TechGeeks will update this notice and its verification date.
