CVE-2024-41946: REXML DoS vulnerability
Impact
The REXML gem before 3.3.2 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many entity expansions with SAX2 or pull parser API.
If you need to parse untrusted XMLs with SAX2 or pull parser API, you may be impacted to this vulnerability.
Patches
The REXML gem 3.3.3 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.
Workarounds
Don't parse untrusted XMLs with SAX2 or pull parser API.
References
https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2008/08/23/dos-vulnerability-in-rexml/ : This is a similar vulnerability https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2024/08/01/dos-rexml-cve-2024-41946/: An announce on www.ruby-lang.org
Other sources
REXML is an XML toolkit for Ruby. The REXML gem 3.3.2 has a DoS vulnerability when it parses an XML that has many entity expansions with SAX2 or pull parser API. The REXML gem 3.3.3 or later include the patch to fix the vulnerability.
— Ubuntu
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
rubygems/rexmlto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.3.3 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/ruby3.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.3.8-2Fixed in 3.3.8-2.2 - Upgrade
Upgrade
alpine/ruby-rexmlto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.3.9-r0 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/ruby3.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.3.5-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
REXML gemto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.3.3 - Compensating control
Do not parse untrusted XML with the SAX2 or pull parser API.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2024-41946?
CVE-2024-41946 has been identified as a DoS vulnerability with potential impact on systems parsing untrusted XML.
How do I fix CVE-2024-41946?
To mitigate CVE-2024-41946, update the REXML gem to version 3.3.3 or later.
Which versions of REXML are affected by CVE-2024-41946?
REXML versions prior to 3.3.3 are affected by CVE-2024-41946.
Can CVE-2024-41946 affect Ruby applications?
Yes, CVE-2024-41946 can affect Ruby applications that use the REXML gem to parse untrusted XML data.
What is the impact of CVE-2024-41946 on XML parsing?
CVE-2024-41946 can lead to denial of service when parsing XML containing a large number of entity expansions using SAX2 or pull parser API.