CVE-2013-1933
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 extract_from_ocr function in lib/docsplit/text_extractor.rb in the Karteek Docsplit (karteek-docsplit) gem 0.5.4 for Ruby allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in a PDF filename.
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 extract_from_ocr function in karteek-docsplit gem 0.5.4 does not properly sanitize shell metacharacters in PDF filenames before passing them to a system call, allowing arbitrary command execution through specially crafted 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= 0.5.4CVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
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.
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Identify installed karteek-docsplit gem versionRun 'gem list karteek-docsplit' or check your Gemfile/Gemfile.lock for the karteek-docsplit gem versionAffected if Version is exactly 0.5.4
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Locate extract_from_ocr function usageSearch your codebase for calls to 'extract_from_ocr' method, typically in Ruby files that require the karteek-docsplit gemAffected if The extract_from_ocr function is invoked in your application code
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Verify PDF file processing from external sourcesInspect code paths where PDF filenames are passed to extract_from_ocr and determine if these filenames originate from user upload, external API, or untrusted sourcesAffected if PDF filenames from untrusted or user-controlled sources are passed to the function without sanitization
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Check for shell metacharacter filteringReview the code handling PDF filenames before the system call - look for removal or escaping of characters like ; | & $ ` ( ) { } [ ] < > " ' \n and whitespaceAffected if No sanitization or filtering of shell metacharacters is performed on PDF filenames before the system call
You are affected if karteek-docsplit version 0.5.4 is installed AND the extract_from_ocr function processes PDF filenames from untrusted sources without shell metacharacter sanitization.
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 dataSanitize PDF filenames to remove or escape shell metacharacters before use in system commands, or refactor to avoid shell invocation entirely using direct API calls or parameter passing.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1933 — 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-2013-1933 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
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- 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
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