CVE-2008-7248: Actionpack Improper Input Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8fqx-7pv4-3jwm
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CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2008-7248 is a MODERATE improper input validation vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Actionpack libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves improper input validation in actionpack. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.3, 2.2.2.

CVE-2008-7248 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2008-7248
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8fqx-7pv4-3jwm
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Actionpack
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2008-7248

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: 2.1.3 
Upgrade actionpack to 2.1.3
actionpack fixed: 2.2.2 
Upgrade actionpack to 2.2.2
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-2008-7248, 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 2.1.3), 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. 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

Ruby on Rails 2.1 before 2.1.3 and 2.2.x before 2.2.2 does not verify tokens for requests with certain content types, which allows remote attackers to bypass cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection for requests to applications that rely on this protection, as demonstrated using text/plain.

CVE-2008-7248 Affected Actionpack Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.32.2.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
actionpack
gem/actionpack
RubyGems
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.3
2.1.3
actionpack
gem/actionpack
RubyGems
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.2
2.2.2

References

NVD — CVE-2008-7248 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-7248
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/099a98e9b7108dae3e0f78b207e0a7dc5913bd1a
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2008-7248
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=544329
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-2008-7248.yml
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/browse_thread/thread/d741ee286e36e301?hl=en
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-03/msg00004.html
pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browser... WEB
https://pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browsers/form-data-encoding-roundup
web.archive.org/web/20090906010200/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20090906010200/https://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2544
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potentia... WEB
https://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potential-circumvention-of-csrf-protection-in-rails-2-1
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/28/1
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/02/2
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
https://www.rorsecurity.info/journal/2008/11/19/circumvent-rails-csrf-protection.html
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/browse_thread/thread/d741ee286e36e301?hl=en
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-03/msg00004.html
pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browser... WEB
http://pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browsers/form-data-encoding-roundup
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potentia... WEB
http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potential-circumvention-of-csrf-protection-in-rails-2-1
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/28/1
Actionpack Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/02/2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2008-7248?
CVE-2008-7248 is a security vulnerability in Actionpack involving Improper Input Validation in actionpack under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Actionpack versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.3, 2.2.2 across affected packages: actionpack.
What version fixes CVE-2008-7248?
Upgrading to 2.1.3, 2.2.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is actionpack affected?
Yes, actionpack is affected in releases prior to 2.1.3, 2.2.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.3, 2.2.2 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2008-7248?
CVE-2008-7248 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2008-7248?
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-8fqx-7pv4-3jwm",
  "modified" : "2023-05-26T16:54:58Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:38Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2008-7248" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Input Validation in actionpack",
  "details" : "Ruby on Rails 2.1 before 2.1.3 and 2.2.x before 2.2.2 does not verify tokens for requests with certain content types, which allows remote attackers to bypass cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection for requests to applications that rely on this protection, as demonstrated using text/plain.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
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    },
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      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
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      "name" : "actionpack"
    },
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      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
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      }, {
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      } ]
    } ]
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  "references" : [ {
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  }, {
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    "url" : "https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/099a98e9b7108dae3e0f78b207e0a7dc5913bd1a"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2008-7248"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=544329"
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  }, {
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    "url" : "https://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/browse_thread/thread/d741ee286e36e301?hl=en"
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    "url" : "https://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-03/msg00004.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browsers/form-data-encoding-roundup"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20090906010200/https://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2544"
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    "url" : "https://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potential-circumvention-of-csrf-protection-in-rails-2-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/28/1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/02/2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.rorsecurity.info/journal/2008/11/19/circumvent-rails-csrf-protection.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-security/browse_thread/thread/d741ee286e36e301?hl=en"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-03/msg00004.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://pseudo-flaw.net/content/web-browsers/form-data-encoding-roundup"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2008/11/18/potential-circumvention-of-csrf-protection-in-rails-2-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/28/1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/02/2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:25:28Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2009-12-16T01:30:00Z"
  }
}