CVE-2009-3009: Actionpack Cross Site Scripting That Affects Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8qrh-h9m2-5fvf
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CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2009-3009 is a MODERATE cross site scripting that affects vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Actionpack libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves cross site scripting that affects rails. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.3, 2.3.4.

CVE-2009-3009 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2009-3009
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8qrh-h9m2-5fvf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Actionpack
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2009-3009

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

actionpack fixed: 2.2.3 
Upgrade actionpack to 2.2.3
actionpack fixed: 2.3.4 
Upgrade actionpack to 2.3.4
activesupport fixed: 2.2.3 
Upgrade activesupport to 2.2.3
activesupport fixed: 2.3.4 
Upgrade activesupport to 2.3.4
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 actionpack

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2009-3009, inspect your project dependencies for Actionpack:

inspect dependencies for actionpack

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Actionpack in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.3), 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-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Actionpack, 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

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Ruby on Rails 2.x before 2.2.3, and 2.3.x before 2.3.4, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by placing malformed Unicode strings into a form helper.

CVE-2009-3009 Affected Actionpack Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.32.3.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
actionpack
gem/actionpack
RubyGems
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.2.3
2.2.3
actionpack
gem/actionpack
RubyGems
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.4
2.3.4
activesupport
gem/activesupport
RubyGems
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.2.3
2.2.3
activesupport
gem/activesupport
RubyGems
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.4
2.3.4

References

NVD — CVE-2009-3009 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3009
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/530... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/53036
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-8qrh-h9m2-5fvf
Actionpack Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/activesupport/CVE-2009-3009.yml
bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.c... WEB
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=545063
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/msg/7f57cd7794e1d1b4?dmode=source
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2010//Mar/msg00001.html
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-10/msg00004.html
secunia.com/advisories/36600 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/36600
secunia.com/advisories/36717 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/36717
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://securitytracker.com/id?1022824
support.apple.com/kb/ht4077 WEB
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4077
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2009/9/4/xss-vulner... WEB
http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2009/9/4/xss-vulnerability-in-ruby-on-rails
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1887
www.osvdb.org/57666 WEB
http://www.osvdb.org/57666
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36278
www.vupen.com/english/advisories/... WEB
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2544

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2009-3009?
CVE-2009-3009 is a security vulnerability in Actionpack involving Cross site scripting that affects rails under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Actionpack versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.3, 2.3.4 across affected packages: actionpack, activesupport.
What version fixes CVE-2009-3009?
Upgrading to 2.2.3, 2.3.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is actionpack affected?
Yes, actionpack is affected in releases prior to 2.2.3, 2.3.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.3, 2.3.4 or later.
Is activesupport affected?
Yes, activesupport is affected in releases prior to 2.2.3, 2.3.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.3, 2.3.4 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2009-3009?
CVE-2009-3009 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2009-3009?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for actionpack'. 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-8qrh-h9m2-5fvf",
  "modified" : "2025-04-09T19:51:09Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:38Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2009-3009" ],
  "summary" : "Cross site scripting that affects rails",
  "details" : "Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Ruby on Rails 2.x before 2.2.3, and 2.3.x before 2.3.4, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by placing malformed Unicode strings into a form helper.",
  "severity" : [ ],
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    } ]
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=545063"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/msg/7f57cd7794e1d1b4?dmode=source"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2010//Mar/msg00001.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-10/msg00004.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/36600"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/36717"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://securitytracker.com/id?1022824"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4077"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2009/9/4/xss-vulnerability-in-ruby-on-rails"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1887"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.osvdb.org/57666"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36278"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2544"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:26:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2009-09-08T18:30:00Z"
  }
}