CVE-2013-6416: Actionpack Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-w37c-q653-qg95
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CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2013-6416 is a MODERATE cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Actionpack libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves actionpack cross-site scripting vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.0.2.

CVE-2013-6416 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2013-6416
GHSA Identifier GHSA-w37c-q653-qg95
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-2013-6416

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: 4.0.2 
Upgrade actionpack to 4.0.2
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-2013-6416, 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 4.0.2), 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 the simple_format helper in `actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb` in Ruby on Rails 4.x before 4.0.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted HTML attribute.

CVE-2013-6416 Affected Actionpack Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.0.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
actionpack
gem/actionpack
RubyGems
≥ 4.0.0
< 4.0.2
4.0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2013-6416 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-6416
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/4b4f5847f64f81c961625e647711ef9f6ad1a454
Actionpack Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rails/rails
Actionpack Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/actionpack/CVE-2013-6416.yml
groups.google.com/forum/ WEB
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/ruby-security-ann/5ZI1-H5OoIM
groups.google.com/forum/message/raw WEB
https://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ruby-security-ann/5ZI1-H5OoIM/ZNq4FoR2GnIJ
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20200228165109/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/64071
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/12/3/rails_3_2... WEB
http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/12/3/Rails_3_2_16_and_4_0_2_have_been_released

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2013-6416?
CVE-2013-6416 is a security vulnerability in Actionpack involving actionpack Cross-site Scripting vulnerability 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 4.0.2 across affected packages: actionpack.
What version fixes CVE-2013-6416?
Upgrading to 4.0.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is actionpack affected?
Yes, actionpack is affected in releases prior to 4.0.2. Upgrade your dependency to 4.0.2 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2013-6416?
CVE-2013-6416 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-2013-6416?
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-w37c-q653-qg95",
  "modified" : "2023-07-26T18:41:29Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2013-6416" ],
  "summary" : "actionpack Cross-site Scripting vulnerability",
  "details" : "Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the simple_format helper in `actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb` in Ruby on Rails 4.x before 4.0.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted HTML attribute.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "actionpack"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-6416"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/4b4f5847f64f81c961625e647711ef9f6ad1a454"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rails/rails"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/actionpack/CVE-2013-6416.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/ruby-security-ann/5ZI1-H5OoIM"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ruby-security-ann/5ZI1-H5OoIM/ZNq4FoR2GnIJ"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20200228165109/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/64071"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/12/3/Rails_3_2_16_and_4_0_2_have_been_released"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:59:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2013-12-07T00:55:00Z"
  }
}