RubyApplication · Ruby Lang
CVE-2012-4522
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe rb_get_path_check function in file.c in Ruby 1.9.3 before patchlevel 286 and Ruby 2.0.0 before r37163 allows context-dependent attackers to create files in unexpected locations or with unexpected names via a NUL byte in a file path.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe rb_get_path_check function in Ruby's file.c fails to properly sanitize file paths containing NUL bytes. Attackers can inject NUL characters to bypass path validation checks, potentially causing Ruby to write files to unintended locations or with altered filenames.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
RubyApplication
= 1.9.3= 2.0.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check installed Ruby versionRun 'ruby --version' to determine the exact version and patchlevel of Ruby installed in your environmentAffected if The version shown is Ruby 1.9.3 (any patchlevel) or Ruby 2.0.0 (any version before r37163)
-
Verify Ruby 1.9.3 patchlevelRun 'ruby -v' or 'RUBY_PATCHLEVEL=$(ruby -v | grep -oP "p\K[0-9]+") && echo $RUBY_PATCHLEVEL' to get the patchlevel numberAffected if Ruby version shows 1.9.3 with patchlevel less than 286 (for example, p194, p285)
-
Verify Ruby 2.0.0 revisionRun 'ruby -v' and check for the revision number (r#####) displayed in the version stringAffected if Ruby version shows 2.0.0 with a revision number lower than r37163 (for example, r36100, r37000)
-
Identify file operation usageReview application code for direct use of File.open, File.read, or other file APIs that accept paths from user input without prior validationAffected if The application passes user-supplied or external input directly to Ruby file operations without sanitizing NUL bytes
You are affected if your environment runs Ruby 1.9.3 (any patchlevel) or Ruby 2.0.0 with revision before r37163, and your application processes file paths that could contain NUL byte characters.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate Ruby to version 1.9.3 patchlevel 286 or later, or Ruby 2.0.0 r37163 or later. Alternatively, implement strict input validation to reject paths containing NUL bytes before passing them to Ruby file operations.
Fix this in Ruby
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-4522 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-4522 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data