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Alchemy CmsApplication

CVE-2026-23885

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.4.12 / 8.0.3 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click Patch available

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 · unedited
Alchemy is an open source content management system engine written in Ruby on Rails. Prior to versions 7.4.12 and 8.0.3, the application uses the Ruby `eval()` function to dynamically execute a string provided by the `resource_handler.engine_name` attribute in `Alchemy::ResourcesHelper#resource_url_proxy`. The vulnerability exists in `app/helpers/alchemy/resources_helper.rb` at line 28. The code explicitly bypasses security linting with `# rubocop:disable Security/Eval`, indicating that the use of a dangerous function was known but not properly mitigated. Since `engine_name` is sourced from module definitions that can be influenced by administrative configurations, it allows an authenticated attacker to escape the Ruby sandbox and execute arbitrary system commands on the host OS. Versions 7.4.12 and 8.0.3 fix the issue by replacing `eval()` with `send()`.

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 confidence

Alchemy CMS uses eval() to dynamically execute the resource_handler.engine_name attribute in app/helpers/alchemy/resources_helper.rb. Since engine_name is sourced from module definitions influenced by administrative configurations, an authenticated attacker can escape the Ruby sandbox and execute arbitrary OS commands.

MitigationUpgrade to Alchemy CMS versions 7.4.12 or 8.0.3 which replace the dangerous eval() call with send().

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
Alchemy CmsApplication
Affected:< 7.4.12>= 8.0.0, < 8.0.3

CVSS 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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Alchemy CMS version
    Check your Gemfile, Gemfile.lock, or run `bundle show alchemy_cms` to obtain the installed version
    Affected if The version is less than 7.4.12 or greater than or equal to 8.0.0 but less than 8.0.3
  2. Locate the vulnerable file
    Search for app/helpers/alchemy/resources_helper.rb in your Alchemy CMS installation directory
    Affected if The file exists in your codebase
  3. Verify the vulnerable eval() pattern
    Inspect the resources_helper.rb file and search for `eval()` being called on `engine_name` or `resource_handler.engine_name`
    Affected if The file contains an eval() call that executes the engine_name attribute dynamically
  4. Confirm resource handling feature is accessible
    Verify that the resources controller and resource helper are being used in your application routes or controllers
    Affected if The resource_handler feature is loaded and accessible to authenticated users

Your environment is affected if the installed Alchemy CMS version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND the eval()-based engine_name execution pattern exists in resources_helper.rb.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.4.12 / 8.0.3 or later
Fixed in 7.4.128.0.3
Vendor patch github.com →
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Alchemy CMS versions 7.4.12 or 8.0.3 which replace the dangerous eval() call with send().

Recommended fix High confidence

Alchemy Cms 7.4.12 (for 7.x users) or 8.0.3 (for 8.x users)

  1. Determine your current Alchemy Cms version by checking your Gemfile or gem lock file
  2. If using Alchemy Cms 7.x series, upgrade to version 7.4.12 or later: run `bundle update alchemycms` or specify `gem 'alchemy_cms', '~> 7.4.12'` in your Gemfile
  3. If using Alchemy Cms 8.x series, upgrade to version 8.0.3 or later: run `bundle update alchemycms` or specify `gem 'alchemy_cms', '~> 8.0.3'` in your Gemfile
  4. Run `bundle install` to install the updated gem
  5. Verify the fix by confirming the eval() call in app/helpers/alchemy/resources_helper.rb has been replaced with send()
  6. Run your application's test suite to ensure functionality is intact
  7. Deploy the updated version to production
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically have minimal breaking changes; however, review the Alchemy Cms changelog between your current version and the target version for any deprecation notices or configuration changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Alchemy Cms Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,900
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-23885 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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