CVE-2012-4466: Medium severity ruby-lang Ruby vulnerability

Published Oct 3, 2012
·
Updated

Originally, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures assigned an identifier CVE-2011-1005 to the following vulnerability:

The safe-level feature in Ruby 1.8.6 through 1.8.6-420, 1.8.7 through 1.8.7-330, and 1.8.8dev allows context-dependent attackers to modify strings via the Exception#tos method, as demonstrated by changing an intended pathname.

Later it was reported: [1] http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/10/02/4

that the Ruby nameerrmesgtostr() method is vulnerable to the similar flaw.

Relevant upstream patch: [2] http://svn.ruby-lang.org/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi?view=revision&revision=37068

Other sources

Ruby 1.8.7 before patchlevel 371, 1.9.3 before patchlevel 286, and 2.0 before revision r37068 allows context-dependent attackers to bypass safe-level restrictions and modify untainted strings via the nameerrmesgtostr API function, which marks the string as tainted, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-1005.

Affected Software

36 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/ruby<1.9.3
1.9.3
redhat/ruby<1.8.7
1.8.7
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p160
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p17
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p173
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p174
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p22
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p248
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p249
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p299
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p301
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p302
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p330
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p334
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p352
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p357
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p358
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p370
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p71
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-p72
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-preview1
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-preview2
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-preview3
ruby-lang Ruby=1.8.7-preview4
ruby-lang Ruby=1.9.3
ruby-lang Ruby=1.9.3-p0
ruby-lang Ruby=1.9.3-p125
ruby-lang Ruby=1.9.3-p194
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0-p0
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0-preview1
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0-preview2
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0-rc1
ruby-lang Ruby=2.0.0-rc2

Event History

Oct 3, 2012
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·11:47 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Apr 25, 2013
CVE Published
via MITRE·11:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·11:00 PM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2012-4466?

CVE-2012-4466 has been classified as having a medium severity level.

2

Which versions of Ruby are affected by CVE-2012-4466?

CVE-2012-4466 impacts Ruby versions 1.8.6 through 1.8.7-330, and 1.9.3 and prior.

3

How do I fix CVE-2012-4466?

To mitigate CVE-2012-4466, upgrade to Ruby versions 1.9.3 or higher.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-4466?

CVE-2012-4466 is a vulnerability related to Ruby's safe-level feature.

5

Is there a patch available for CVE-2012-4466?

Yes, patches for CVE-2012-4466 are included in the newer Ruby releases.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203