CVE-2013-3221: Activerecord Active Record Component Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f57c-hx33-hvh8
Share
CWE-89 CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2013-3221 is a CRITICAL active record component vulnerability (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')) affecting Activerecord libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves active record component in ruby on rails has a data-type injection vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.2.0.

CVE-2013-3221 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2013-3221
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f57c-hx33-hvh8
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Affected Product Activerecord
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2013-3221

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

activerecord fixed: 4.2.0 
Upgrade activerecord to 4.2.0
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 activerecord

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2013-3221, inspect your project dependencies for Activerecord:

inspect dependencies for activerecord

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Activerecord in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.2.0), 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-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an sql command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended sql command when it is sent to a downstream component. without sufficient removal or quoting of sql syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated sql query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as sql instead of ordinary user data. In Activerecord, 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 Active Record component in Ruby on Rails 2.3.x, 3.0.x, 3.1.x, and 3.2.x does not ensure that the declared data type of a database column is used during comparisons of input values to stored values in that column, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct data-type injection attacks against Ruby on Rails applications via a crafted value, as demonstrated by unintended interaction between the "typed XML" feature and a MySQL database.

CVE-2013-3221 Affected Activerecord Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.2.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
activerecord
gem/activerecord
RubyGems
< 4.2.0
4.2.0

References

NVD — CVE-2013-3221 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-3221
Activerecord Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rails/rails
Activerecord Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/activerecord/CVE-2013-3221.yml
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
https://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/msg/1f3bc0b88a60c1ce?dmode=source&output=gplain
web.archive.org/web/20130825191249/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20130825191249/http://www.phenoelit.org/blog/archives/2013/02/index.html
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/02/06/7
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/04/24/7
pl.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/1... WEB
http://pl.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/17yajp/mysql_madness_and_rails

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2013-3221?
CVE-2013-3221 is a security vulnerability in Activerecord involving Active Record component in Ruby on Rails has a data-type injection vulnerability under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection').
Which Activerecord versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.2.0 across affected packages: activerecord.
What version fixes CVE-2013-3221?
Upgrading to 4.2.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is activerecord affected?
Yes, activerecord is affected in releases prior to 4.2.0. Upgrade your dependency to 4.2.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2013-3221?
CVE-2013-3221 is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2013-3221?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for activerecord'. 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-f57c-hx33-hvh8",
  "modified" : "2026-02-02T20:20:55Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T00:54:20Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2013-3221" ],
  "summary" : "Active Record component in Ruby on Rails has a data-type injection vulnerability",
  "details" : "The Active Record component in Ruby on Rails 2.3.x, 3.0.x, 3.1.x, and 3.2.x does not ensure that the declared data type of a database column is used during comparisons of input values to stored values in that column, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct data-type injection attacks against Ruby on Rails applications via a crafted value, as demonstrated by unintended interaction between the \"typed XML\" feature and a MySQL database.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "activerecord"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.2.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-3221"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rails/rails"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/activerecord/CVE-2013-3221.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/msg/1f3bc0b88a60c1ce?dmode=source&output=gplain"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20130825191249/http://www.phenoelit.org/blog/archives/2013/02/index.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/02/06/7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/04/24/7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://pl.reddit.com/r/netsec/comments/17yajp/mysql_madness_and_rails"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-89" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-02T20:20:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2013-04-22T03:27:00Z"
  }
}