CVE-2013-0156
HighExploitedPublic exploitactionpack Improper Input Validation vulnerability
Published Oct 24, 2017 · Updated Aug 4, 2026 · Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2013-0156, DSA-2604-1, GHSA-jmgw-6vjg-jjwg, UBUNTU-CVE-2013-0156
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2013-0156 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 7.5 v2) affecting Rails (Rubyonrails), Ruby On Rails (Rubyonrails), Debian Linux and 12 more products.
- It is exploited in the wild, listed in Industry KEV feed since May 28, 2013. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 99% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including actionpack 2.3.15, actionpack 3.0.19, actionpack 3.1.10.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
CVSS v2
7.5
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
99%
Higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
Yes
1 catalog listing
Public exploit code
Available
Proof-of-concept or weaponized module
Get the full CVE-2013-0156 brief as a PDF
Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.
Description
active_support/core_ext/hash/conversions.rb in Ruby on Rails before 2.3.15, 3.0.x before 3.0.19, 3.1.x before 3.1.10, and 3.2.x before 3.2.11 does not properly restrict casts of string values, which allows remote attackers to conduct object-injection attacks and execute arbitrary code, or cause a denial of service (memory and CPU consumption) involving nested XML entity references, by leveraging Action Pack support for (1) YAML type conversion or (2) Symbol type conversion.
Known-Exploited Catalog Listings
| Catalog | Added | Remediation due | Ransomware use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry KEV feed | May 28, 2013 | n/a | Not reported |
Required action: Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.
Affected Products
27 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| RailsRubyonrails | See advisory | 3.2.11 |
| Ruby On RailsRubyonrails | See advisory | 2.3.15 |
| Debian LinuxDebian | 6.0, 7.0 | n/a |
| actionpackrubygems | See advisory | 3.2.11 |
| ruby193-rubygem-actionpackredhat | See advisory | 1:3.2.8-2.el6 |
Patched Releases
actionpack
2.3.15, 3.0.19, 3.1.10, 3.2.11
Rails
2.3.14.1, 2.3.5-1.2+squeeze4.1, 3.2.11
ruby193-rubygem-actionpack
1:3.2.8-2.el6
ruby193-rubygem-activesupport
1:3.0.13-2.el6op
ruby2.2-rubygem-extlib
0.9.16-7.4
ruby2.2-rubygem-extlib-doc
0.9.16-7.4
ruby2.2-rubygem-extlib-testsuite
0.9.16-7.4
ruby2.3-rubygem-extlib
0.9.16-7.4
ruby2.3-rubygem-extlib-doc
0.9.16-7.4
ruby2.3-rubygem-extlib-testsuite
0.9.16-7.4
rubygem-actionpack
1:3.0.10-11.el6cf
rubygem-activerecord
1:3.0.10-8.el6cf
rubygem-activesupport
1:3.0.10-5.el6cf
Ruby On Rails
2.3.15
Timeline
Added to Industry KEV feed
May 28, 2013
Publicly disclosed
Oct 24, 2017
Last updated
Aug 4, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
- CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data
References
- advisoryhttp://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-13-036-01A
- advisoryAPPLE-SA-2013-03-14-1
- advisoryRHSA-2013:0153
- advisoryRHSA-2013:0154
- advisoryRHSA-2013:0155
FAQ
Common Questions.
active_support/core_ext/hash/conversions.rb in Ruby on Rails before 2.3.15, 3.0.x before 3.0.19, 3.1.x before 3.1.10, and 3.2.x before 3.2.11 does not properly restrict casts of string values, which allows remote attackers to conduct object-injection attacks and execute arbitrary code, or cause a denial of service (me…
Affected: Rails (Rubyonrails); Ruby On Rails (Rubyonrails); Debian Linux versions 6.0, 7.0, among others. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is exploited in the wild, listed in Industry KEV feed since May 28, 2013.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including actionpack 2.3.15, actionpack 3.0.19, actionpack 3.1.10.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
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