CVE-2019-13589: Paranoid2 Paranoid2 Gem Code Backdoor Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4g4c-8gqh-m4vm
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-829
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-13589 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) paranoid2 gem code backdoor vulnerability (CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere) affecting Paranoid2 libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves paranoid2 gem code backdoor. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-13589 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-13589
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4g4c-8gqh-m4vm
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere
Affected Product Paranoid2
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2019-13589

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Paranoid2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

paranoid2 fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade paranoid2 to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for paranoid2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2019-13589, inspect your project dependencies for Paranoid2:

inspect dependencies for paranoid2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Paranoid2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere, where the product imports, requires, or includes executable functionality (such as a library) from a source that is outside of the intended control sphere. In Paranoid2, 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

The paranoid2 gem 1.1.6 for Ruby, as distributed on RubyGems.org, included a code-execution backdoor inserted by a third party. The current version, without this backdoor, is 1.1.5.

CVE-2019-13589 Affected Paranoid2 Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
paranoid2
gem/paranoid2
RubyGems
1.1.6
All 1 versions
1.1.6
None specified

References

NVD — CVE-2019-13589 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13589
Paranoid2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems.org/issues/2051
Paranoid2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/anjlab/paranoid2
Paranoid2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/paranoid2/CVE-2019-13589.yml
rubygems.org/gems/paranoid2/vers... WEB
https://rubygems.org/gems/paranoid2/versions
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-ruby-para... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-RUBY-PARANOID2-451600
Paranoid2 Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/109281

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-13589?
CVE-2019-13589 is a security vulnerability in Paranoid2 involving paranoid2 gem Code backdoor under CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere.
Which Paranoid2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: paranoid2.
What version fixes CVE-2019-13589?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is paranoid2 affected?
Yes, paranoid2 is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-13589?
CVE-2019-13589 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-13589?
CVE-2019-13589 is classified under CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere (The product imports, requires, or includes executable functionality (such as a library) from a source that is outside of the intended control sphere.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2019-13589?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for paranoid2'. 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-4g4c-8gqh-m4vm",
  "modified" : "2023-08-29T14:11:16Z",
  "published" : "2019-07-16T00:41:55Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-13589" ],
  "summary" : "paranoid2 gem Code backdoor",
  "details" : "The paranoid2 gem 1.1.6 for Ruby, as distributed on RubyGems.org, included a code-execution backdoor inserted by a third party. The current version, without this backdoor, is 1.1.5.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "paranoid2"
    },
    "versions" : [ "1.1.6" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13589"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems.org/issues/2051"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/anjlab/paranoid2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/paranoid2/CVE-2019-13589.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://rubygems.org/gems/paranoid2/versions"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-RUBY-PARANOID2-451600"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/109281"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-829" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-07-15T23:22:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-07-14T16:15:00Z"
  }
}