CVE-2016-3693: Safemode Safemode Gem Allows Context-dependent Attackers Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c92m-rrrc-q5wf
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-3693 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) safemode gem allows context-dependent attackers vulnerability (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Safemode libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves safemode gem allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information via the inspect method. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.2.4.

CVE-2016-3693 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-3693
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c92m-rrrc-q5wf
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Affected Product Safemode
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
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-2016-3693

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

safemode fixed: 1.2.4 
Upgrade safemode to 1.2.4
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 safemode

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2016-3693, inspect your project dependencies for Safemode:

inspect dependencies for safemode

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Safemode in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.2.4), 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-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, where the product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. In Safemode, 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 Safemode gem before 1.2.4 for Ruby, when initialized with a delegate object that is a Rails controller, allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information via the inspect method.

CVE-2016-3693 Affected Safemode Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.2.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
safemode
gem/safemode
RubyGems
< 1.2.4
1.2.4

References

NVD — CVE-2016-3693 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3693
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/svenfuchs/safemode/commit/0f764a1720a3a68fd2842e21377c8bfad6d7126f
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/theforeman/foreman/commit/82f9b93c54f72c5814df6bab7fad057eab65b2f2
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:03... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0336
Safemode Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/svenfuchs/safemode
projects.theforeman.org/issues/14635 WEB
http://projects.theforeman.org/issues/14635
rubysec.com/advisories/cve-2016... WEB
http://rubysec.com/advisories/CVE-2016-3693
Safemode Security Information SECURITY
http://theforeman.org/security.html#2016-3693
Safemode Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/04/20/8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-3693?
CVE-2016-3693 is a security vulnerability in Safemode involving safemode gem allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information via the inspect method under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.
Which Safemode versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.2.4 across affected packages: safemode.
What version fixes CVE-2016-3693?
Upgrading to 1.2.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is safemode affected?
Yes, safemode is affected in releases prior to 1.2.4. Upgrade your dependency to 1.2.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-3693?
CVE-2016-3693 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-3693?
CVE-2016-3693 is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2016-3693?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for safemode'. 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-c92m-rrrc-q5wf",
  "modified" : "2023-09-05T21:11:43Z",
  "published" : "2017-10-24T18:33:35Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-3693" ],
  "summary" : "safemode gem allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information via the inspect method",
  "details" : "The Safemode gem before 1.2.4 for Ruby, when initialized with a delegate object that is a Rails controller, allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information via the inspect method.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "safemode"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.2.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3693"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/svenfuchs/safemode/commit/0f764a1720a3a68fd2842e21377c8bfad6d7126f"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/theforeman/foreman/commit/82f9b93c54f72c5814df6bab7fad057eab65b2f2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0336"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/svenfuchs/safemode"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://projects.theforeman.org/issues/14635"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rubysec.com/advisories/CVE-2016-3693"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://theforeman.org/security.html#2016-3693"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/04/20/8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:30:40Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2016-05-20T14:59:00Z"
  }
}