CVE-2016-7954: Bundler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jvgm-pfqv-887x
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-7954 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Bundler libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves bundler allows attacker to inject arbitrary code via secondary gem source. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0.0.

CVE-2016-7954 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-7954
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jvgm-pfqv-887x
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Bundler
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-2016-7954

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

bundler fixed: 2.0.0 
Upgrade bundler to 2.0.0
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 bundler

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2016-7954, inspect your project dependencies for Bundler:

inspect dependencies for bundler

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Bundler in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.0.0), 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Bundler, 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

Bundler 1.x might allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary Ruby code into an application by leveraging a gem name collision on a secondary source. NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2013-0334.

CVE-2016-7954 Affected Bundler Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
bundler
gem/bundler
RubyGems
≥ 1.0.0
< 2.0.0
2.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2016-7954 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7954
Bundler Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/bundler/bundler/issues/5051
Bundler Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/bundler/bundler/issues/5062
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1381951
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
https://collectiveidea.com/blog/archives/2016/10/06/bundlers-multiple-source-security-vulnerability
Bundler Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubygems/bundler
Bundler Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/bundler/CVE-2016-7954.yml
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20170214030311/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93423
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
http://collectiveidea.com/blog/archives/2016/10/06/bundlers-multiple-source-security-vulnerability
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/04/5
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/04/7
Bundler Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/05/3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-7954?
CVE-2016-7954 is a security vulnerability in Bundler involving Bundler allows attacker to inject arbitrary code via secondary Gem source under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Bundler versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.0.0 across affected packages: bundler.
What version fixes CVE-2016-7954?
Upgrading to 2.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is bundler affected?
Yes, bundler is affected in releases prior to 2.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-7954?
CVE-2016-7954 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-2016-7954?
CVE-2016-7954 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2016-7954?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for bundler'. 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-jvgm-pfqv-887x",
  "modified" : "2025-04-14T22:05:18Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T00:57:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-7954" ],
  "summary" : "Bundler allows attacker to inject arbitrary code via secondary Gem source",
  "details" : "Bundler 1.x might allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary Ruby code into an application by leveraging a gem name collision on a secondary source.  NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2013-0334.",
  "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" : "bundler"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7954"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bundler/bundler/issues/5051"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bundler/bundler/issues/5062"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1381951"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://collectiveidea.com/blog/archives/2016/10/06/bundlers-multiple-source-security-vulnerability"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubygems/bundler"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/bundler/CVE-2016-7954.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20170214030311/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93423"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://collectiveidea.com/blog/archives/2016/10/06/bundlers-multiple-source-security-vulnerability"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/04/5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/04/7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/05/3"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-06-23T21:46:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2016-12-22T22:59:00Z"
  }
}