CVE-2013-1854: Activerecord Active Record Improper Input Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-3crr-9vmg-864v
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CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2013-1854 is a MODERATE active record improper input validation vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Activerecord libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves active record improper input validation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.3.18, 3.1.12, 3.2.13.

CVE-2013-1854 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2013-1854
GHSA Identifier GHSA-3crr-9vmg-864v
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Activerecord
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2013-1854

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

activerecord fixed: 2.3.18 
Upgrade activerecord to 2.3.18
activerecord fixed: 3.1.12 
Upgrade activerecord to 3.1.12
activerecord fixed: 3.2.13 
Upgrade activerecord to 3.2.13
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 activerecord

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2013-1854, inspect your project dependencies for Activerecord:

inspect dependencies for activerecord

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Activerecord in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.3.18), 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 Activerecord, 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 Active Record component in Ruby on Rails 2.3.x before 2.3.18, 3.1.x before 3.1.12, and 3.2.x before 3.2.13 processes certain queries by converting hash keys to symbols, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via crafted input to a where method.

CVE-2013-1854 Affected Activerecord Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.3.183.1.123.2.13
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
activerecord
gem/activerecord
RubyGems
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.18
2.3.18
activerecord
gem/activerecord
RubyGems
≥ 3.1.0
< 3.1.12
3.1.12
activerecord
gem/activerecord
RubyGems
≥ 3.2.0
< 3.2.13
3.2.13

References

NVD — CVE-2013-1854 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-1854
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013:06... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013:0699
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2014:18... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014:1863
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2013-1854
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=921329
Activerecord Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/activerecord/CVE-2013-1854.yml
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
https://groups.google.com/group/ruby-security-ann/msg/34e0d780b04308de?dmode=source&output=gplain
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2013/Jun/msg00000.html
Activerecord Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2013/Oct/msg00006.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00070.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00071.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00075.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00078.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00079.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-06... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0699.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2014-18... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-1863.html
support.apple.com/kb/ht5784 WEB
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5784
weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/3/18/sec-ann-r... WEB
http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/3/18/SEC-ANN-Rails-3-2-13-3-1-12-and-2-3-18-have-been-released

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2013-1854?
CVE-2013-1854 is a security vulnerability in Activerecord involving Active Record Improper Input Validation under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Activerecord versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.3.18, 3.1.12, 3.2.13 across affected packages: activerecord.
What version fixes CVE-2013-1854?
Upgrading to 2.3.18, 3.1.12, 3.2.13 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is activerecord affected?
Yes, activerecord is affected in releases prior to 2.3.18, 3.1.12, 3.2.13. Upgrade your dependency to 2.3.18, 3.1.12, 3.2.13 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2013-1854?
CVE-2013-1854 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-2013-1854?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for activerecord'. 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-3crr-9vmg-864v",
  "modified" : "2023-08-25T23:15:31Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:37Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2013-1854" ],
  "summary" : "Active Record Improper Input Validation",
  "details" : "The Active Record component in Ruby on Rails 2.3.x before 2.3.18, 3.1.x before 3.1.12, and 3.2.x before 3.2.13 processes certain queries by converting hash keys to symbols, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via crafted input to a where method.",
  "severity" : [ ],
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  "references" : [ {
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  }, {
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    "url" : "http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2013/Oct/msg00006.html"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00070.html"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00071.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00075.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00078.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00079.html"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0699.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-1863.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5784"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2013/3/18/SEC-ANN-Rails-3-2-13-3-1-12-and-2-3-18-have-been-released"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T20:54:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2013-03-19T22:55:00Z"
  }
}