CVE-2017-0901: Rubygems update RubyGems May Allow A Maliciously Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pm9x-4392-2c2p
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-20 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-0901 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) rubygems may allow a maliciously vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Rubygems update libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves rubygems may allow a maliciously crafted gem to overwrite files. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.6.13.

CVE-2017-0901 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-0901
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pm9x-4392-2c2p
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Rubygems update
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/I:H/A:N).

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 None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2017-0901

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

rubygems-update fixed: 2.6.13 
Upgrade rubygems-update to 2.6.13
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 rubygems-update

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2017-0901, inspect your project dependencies for Rubygems update:

inspect dependencies for rubygems-update

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Rubygems update in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.6.13), 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 Rubygems update, 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

RubyGems versions 2.6.12 and earlier fail to validate specification names, allowing a maliciously crafted gem to potentially overwrite any file on the filesystem.

CVE-2017-0901 Affected Rubygems update Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.6.13
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
rubygems-update
gem/rubygems-update
RubyGems
< 2.6.13
2.6.13

References

NVD — CVE-2017-0901 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-0901
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems/commit/ad5c0a53a86ca5b218c7976765c0365b91d22cb2
hackerone.com/reports/243156 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/243156
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2017:34... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3485
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:03... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0378
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:05... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0583
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:05... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0585
Rubygems update Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/07/msg00012.html
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201710-01
usn.ubuntu.com/3553-1 WEB
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3553-1
usn.ubuntu.com/3685-1 WEB
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3685-1
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20170907215801/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039249
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20170915000000*/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100580#:~:text=1%20snapshot-,16%3A05%3A26,-Note
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3966
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42611 WEB
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42611
blog.rubygems.org/2017/08/27/2.6.13-r... WEB
http://blog.rubygems.org/2017/08/27/2.6.13-released.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-0901?
CVE-2017-0901 is a security vulnerability in Rubygems update involving RubyGems may allow a maliciously crafted gem to overwrite files under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Rubygems update versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.6.13 across affected packages: rubygems-update.
What version fixes CVE-2017-0901?
Upgrading to 2.6.13 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is rubygems-update affected?
Yes, rubygems-update is affected in releases prior to 2.6.13. Upgrade your dependency to 2.6.13 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-0901?
CVE-2017-0901 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-0901?
CVE-2017-0901 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-2017-0901?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for rubygems-update'. 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-pm9x-4392-2c2p",
  "modified" : "2023-03-09T00:38:35Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:38:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-0901" ],
  "summary" : "RubyGems may allow a maliciously crafted gem to overwrite files",
  "details" : "RubyGems versions 2.6.12 and earlier fail to validate specification names, allowing a maliciously crafted gem to potentially overwrite any file on the filesystem.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "rubygems-update"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.13"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-0901"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems/commit/ad5c0a53a86ca5b218c7976765c0365b91d22cb2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/243156"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3485"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0378"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0583"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0585"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/07/msg00012.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201710-01"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3553-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://usn.ubuntu.com/3685-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20170907215801/http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039249"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20170915000000*/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100580#:~:text=1%20snapshot-,16%3A05%3A26,-Note"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3966"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42611"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://blog.rubygems.org/2017/08/27/2.6.13-released.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-03-09T00:38:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-08-31T20:29:00Z"
  }
}