olefile

Python package to parse, read and write Microsoft OLE2 files (Structured Storage or Compound Document, Microsoft Office)

olefile Permissive license BSD DORMANT ★ 270 v0.47 released 2023-12-01

Install

olefile on PyPI

pip

pip install olefile

uv

uv add olefile

poetry

poetry add olefile

Package facts

License	BSD (permissive)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=2.7, !=3.0., !=3.1., !=3.2., !=3.3., !=3.4.*)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	dormant — 986 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2024-10-28
First released	2014-10-01
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: olefile-0.47-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules

About olefile

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

olefile

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olefile is a Python package to parse, read and write Microsoft OLE2 files (also called Structured Storage, Compound File Binary Format or Compound Document File Format), such as Microsoft Office 97-2003 documents, vbaProject.bin in MS Office 2007+ files, Image Composer and FlashPix files, Outlook messages, StickyNotes, several...

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AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

olefile parses, reads, and writes Microsoft OLE2 compound files (Structured Storage format), including legacy Office 97-2003 documents, Outlook messages, and other structured binary formats.

Low install friction with no runtime dependencies; distributed as a pure Python wheel. Maintenance is dormant (986 days since last release in Dec 2023), though the repository remains active with recent commits and the package is marked Production/Stable.

BSD permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; redistribution requires retaining copyright notice and disclaimer.

Usage

pip install olefile

import olefile
ole = olefile.OleFileIO('document.doc')
streams = ole.listdir()
ole.close()

Verdict: olefile is a stable, dependency-free library for working with legacy Microsoft compound file formats. It is suitable for production use in forensics, malware analysis, and document parsing, though development has slowed significantly since its last release in December 2023. No known security vulnerabilities.

Needs verification

Whether the 986-day gap since v0.47 (Dec 2023) reflects intentional maintenance pause or abandonment risk
Performance characteristics and scalability limits for large or malformed OLE files
Compatibility of Python 2.7 support claim with current security and ecosystem standards

parse microsoft ole2 filesread compound document formatoffice 97-2003 document parsingstructured storage readerole file extractionlegacy office format support