CVE-2019-14282: Simple captcha2 Code Backdoor Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wg6j-r28m-7293
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-14282 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) code backdoor vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Simple captcha2 libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves code backdoor in simple_captcha2. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-14282 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-14282
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wg6j-r28m-7293
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Simple captcha2
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-2019-14282

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Simple captcha2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

simple_captcha2 fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade simple_captcha2 to Latest secure release
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 simple_captcha2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2019-14282, inspect your project dependencies for Simple captcha2:

inspect dependencies for simple_captcha2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Simple captcha2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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 Simple captcha2, 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 simple_captcha2 gem 0.2.3 for Ruby, as distributed on RubyGems.org, included a code-execution backdoor inserted by a third party.

CVE-2019-14282 Affected Simple captcha2 Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
simple_captcha2
gem/simple_captcha2
RubyGems
0.2.3
All 1 versions
0.2.3
None specified

References

NVD — CVE-2019-14282 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14282
Simple captcha2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems.org/issues/2073
Simple captcha2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pludoni/simple-captcha
Simple captcha2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/simple_captcha2/CVE-2019-14282.yml
rubygems.org/gems/simple_captcha... WEB
https://rubygems.org/gems/simple_captcha2/versions
Simple captcha2 Security Information SECURITY
https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-RUBY-SIMPLECAPTCHA2-455501

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-14282?
CVE-2019-14282 is a security vulnerability in Simple captcha2 involving Code backdoor in simple_captcha2 under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Simple captcha2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: simple_captcha2.
What version fixes CVE-2019-14282?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is simple_captcha2 affected?
Yes, simple_captcha2 is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-14282?
CVE-2019-14282 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-2019-14282?
CVE-2019-14282 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-2019-14282?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for simple_captcha2'. 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-wg6j-r28m-7293",
  "modified" : "2023-08-28T13:34:04Z",
  "published" : "2019-07-31T04:21:19Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-14282" ],
  "summary" : "Code backdoor in simple_captcha2",
  "details" : "The simple_captcha2 gem 0.2.3 for Ruby, as distributed on RubyGems.org, included a code-execution backdoor inserted by a third party.",
  "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" : "simple_captcha2"
    },
    "versions" : [ "0.2.3" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14282"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems.org/issues/2073"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pludoni/simple-captcha"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/simple_captcha2/CVE-2019-14282.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://rubygems.org/gems/simple_captcha2/versions"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-RUBY-SIMPLECAPTCHA2-455501"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-07-31T04:00:04Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-07-26T05:15:00Z"
  }
}