CVE-2012-6684: RedCloth Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r23g-3qw4-gfh2
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CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2012-6684 is a MODERATE cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting RedCloth libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves redcloth cross-site scripting vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.3.0.

CVE-2012-6684 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2012-6684
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r23g-3qw4-gfh2
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 RedCloth
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2012-6684

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

RedCloth fixed: 4.3.0 
Upgrade RedCloth to 4.3.0
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 RedCloth

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2012-6684, inspect your project dependencies for RedCloth:

inspect dependencies for RedCloth

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of RedCloth in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.3.0), 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-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 RedCloth, 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 the RedCloth library 4.2.9 for Ruby and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a `javascript:` URI.

CVE-2012-6684 Affected RedCloth Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.3.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
RedCloth
gem/RedCloth
RubyGems
< 4.3.0
4.3.0

References

NVD — CVE-2012-6684 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6684
co3k.org/blog/redcloth-unfix... WEB
https://co3k.org/blog/redcloth-unfixed-xss-en
RedCloth Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://gist.github.com/co3k/75b3cb416c342aa1414c
RedCloth Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/RedCloth/CVE-2012-6684.yml
web.archive.org/web/20150128115714/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20150128115714/http://jgarber.lighthouseapp.com/projects/13054-redcloth/tickets/243-xss
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014... WEB
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Dec/50
RedCloth Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3168

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-6684?
CVE-2012-6684 is a security vulnerability in RedCloth involving RedCloth Cross-site Scripting vulnerability under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which RedCloth versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.3.0 across affected packages: RedCloth.
What version fixes CVE-2012-6684?
Upgrading to 4.3.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is RedCloth affected?
Yes, RedCloth is affected in releases prior to 4.3.0. Upgrade your dependency to 4.3.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2012-6684?
CVE-2012-6684 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-2012-6684?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for RedCloth'. 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-r23g-3qw4-gfh2",
  "modified" : "2023-08-28T19:55:45Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:37Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2012-6684" ],
  "summary" : "RedCloth Cross-site Scripting vulnerability",
  "details" : "Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the RedCloth library 4.2.9 for Ruby and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a `javascript:` URI.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "RedCloth"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.3.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6684"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://co3k.org/blog/redcloth-unfixed-xss-en"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://gist.github.com/co3k/75b3cb416c342aa1414c"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/RedCloth/CVE-2012-6684.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20150128115714/http://jgarber.lighthouseapp.com/projects/13054-redcloth/tickets/243-xss"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Dec/50"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3168"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:53:16Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2015-01-08T01:59:01Z"
  }
}