CVE-2019-8325: Rubygems update RubyGems Escape Sequence Injection Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4wm8-fjv7-j774
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-8325 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) rubygems escape sequence injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')) affecting Rubygems update libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves rubygems escape sequence injection in errors. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.7.9, 3.0.2.

CVE-2019-8325 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-8325
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4wm8-fjv7-j774
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
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:3.1/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-2019-8325

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: 2.7.9 
Upgrade rubygems-update to 2.7.9
rubygems-update fixed: 3.0.2 
Upgrade rubygems-update to 3.0.2
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 rubygems-update

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2019-8325, 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 2.7.9), 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-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component. 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

An issue was discovered in RubyGems 2.6 and later through 3.0.2. Since Gem::CommandManager#run calls alert_error without escaping, escape sequence injection is possible. (There are many ways to cause an error.)

CVE-2019-8325 Affected Rubygems update Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.7.93.0.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
rubygems-update
gem/rubygems-update
RubyGems
≥ 2.6.0
< 2.7.9
2.7.9
rubygems-update
gem/rubygems-update
RubyGems
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.0.2
3.0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2019-8325 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-8325
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
https://blog.rubygems.org/2019/03/05/security-advisories-2019-03.html
Rubygems update Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/rubygems-update/CVE-2019-8325.yml
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/08/msg00027.html
Rubygems update Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00036.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-8325?
CVE-2019-8325 is a security vulnerability in Rubygems update involving RubyGems Escape sequence injection in errors under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection').
Which Rubygems update versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.7.9, 3.0.2 across affected packages: rubygems-update.
What version fixes CVE-2019-8325?
Upgrading to 2.7.9, 3.0.2 (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 2.7.9, 3.0.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.7.9, 3.0.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-8325?
CVE-2019-8325 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-8325?
CVE-2019-8325 is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2019-8325?
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-4wm8-fjv7-j774",
  "modified" : "2023-08-28T13:17:43Z",
  "published" : "2019-06-20T16:08:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-8325" ],
  "summary" : "RubyGems Escape sequence injection in errors",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in RubyGems 2.6 and later through 3.0.2. Since Gem::CommandManager#run calls alert_error without escaping, escape sequence injection is possible. (There are many ways to cause an error.)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/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" : "2.6.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "rubygems-update"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-8325"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.rubygems.org/2019/03/05/security-advisories-2019-03.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/rubygems-update/CVE-2019-8325.yml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/08/msg00027.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-07/msg00036.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-06-20T16:04:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}